In This Together
by Blurtitoutalready
Summary: Future!Fic: Fast forward to April 2015: Kurt and Blaine are building a life together in NYC. Reviewer - "I love how realistic the whole story is, and that we get to see a bit of everyone!" Try it? Adult.
1. Chapter 1

**Sequel to "The Lazy Song" – This is my attempt to create a multi-chapter story out of this one shot based off Canon Glee and the future lives of the characters mentioned already in the one-shot. You don't really **_**need**_** to read The Lazy Song to get the story, but it will help. **

**Future!Fic featuring our boys living in New York City. Glee keeps changing its mind about place/time continuity but in_ this_ story the year is 2015, we start in about April and Kurt is a junior at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Blaine is a senior at Fordham. Canon up until Prom Queen/Funeral with Kurt/Blaine in some sort of age/grade vortex that just makes sense b/c it's Glee.**

**This is intended to be fairly light, with tons of fluff and smut. I'm sure if this gets long enough bits of drama and angst will make their way in – but this isn't Shakespeare – it's just fun, hopefully. Mostly pure KLAINE with family members and New Directions friends and the occasional OC - but mostly just Klaine. **

Mid April. Winter had finally melted into spring in Midtown Manhattan. Instead, it had rained nearly every day for the past week. Currently it was raining buckets as Kurt pressed the down button on the elevator in the hallway of the 9th floor outside their apartment. He tapped his foot impatiently; Blaine was waiting for him in the lobby. The two were taking the night off from studying and homework to take in a movie downtown. Finally the down buttons light clicked off and the doors to the elevator creaked open.

The doors to the elevator opened to the bright lobby of their apartment building. Kurt gripped his umbrella tightly as he stepped out and walked towards Blaine, whose thick curly hair was wet and falling in his eyes as he chatted easily with the pretty young woman at the front desk.

"Mhmm, and his spring portfolio got picked to be featured in the showcase over the summer…" Blaine explained.

Kurt smiled; a slight blush appeared high in his cheekbones. He leaned towards Blaine to kiss his cheek, "Hey."

Blaine turned and smiled back at Kurt, "Hey! Oh good you brought an umbrella…it's raining."

Kurt brushed a lock of Blaine's damp hair out of his eyes, "so I see."

"Congrats about your portfolio Kurt," Amy, the front desk receptionist said.

Kurt smiled broadly at her, "Thanks Amy! It's really exciting and it's the only menswear line in the showcase so that's pretty cool."

Blaine laced his fingers through Kurt's, "we better go if we wanna make the early show."

With a wave goodbye to Amy Kurt and Blaine walked out the door of their apartment building and stood under the awning as Kurt opened the umbrella. Sheets and sheets of rain poured down from the sky and Kurt looked at the flimsy umbrella warily. His poor hair.

Blaine glanced over at Kurt and noticed the skeptical looks he was giving their cheap umbrella. "How about we take a cab instead of the bus?" he offered.

"Oh thank god. I know they're over priced but…" Kurt trailed off as Blaine took the umbrella from him and ventured out into the monsoon to flag down a cab for them. Best boyfriend ever, thought Kurt as he stood under the protection of the awning.

Thankfully Blaine was able to hail a cab within a minute or two and he and Kurt scrambled inside. Blaine told the driver the address of the movie theatre and they were off.

It was warm and dry and nice inside the cab. Kurt snuggled into Blaine's side but pulled away when he was poked by something sharp from the inside of Blaine's jacket.

"Ouch. What's that?"

"Oh! The mail. I forgot I picked it up before I started talking to Amy, her sister had her baby finally and they named him Jakob and-"

"The mail?"

"Yeah...the mail..."

"The mail! Blaine! Did you look to see if-"

"Holy crap I forgot, how could I forget? No I didn't check to see if NYU-"

"Well, look!"

Blaine unzipped his jacket and gingerly removed the mail from the hidden inside pocket. There were several pieces of mail. The cell phone bill, an ad for a new Thai restaurant, a postcard from Wes who was studying abroad in Spain this semester, Kurt's credit card bill, and….and something from NYU's School of Law. Blaine's breath caught in his throat. He had been waiting for this letter for months now, letting him know if he'd be attending his first choice of law schools in the fall.

Blaine's hands shook as he looked sadly down at the envelope. It was awfully light and thin. "I didn't get in…" he said softly.

Kurt placed his hand comfortingly along Blaine's forearm, "You don't know that! Just open it already."

Blaine looked at Kurt with wide eyes, "I can't. You do it, please," He handed Kurt the envelope.

Kurt kissed Blaine softly, "no matter what, I love you, so much. I'm so proud of you. We are in this together Blaine," he whispered against Blaine's lips.

Kurt carefully opened the envelope, indeed there was only one sheet of paper in inside. He read aloud:

"Dear Mr. Anderson:

After a great deal of consideration I am very pleased to inform you of your _acceptance_ to New York University's School of Law class of 2018. You have been admitted to the Constitutional Law focus of the NYULaw curricula…"

Kurt trailed off and looked at Blaine who was smiling, looking slightly dazed. "Blaine! Baby you did it! You got it, and they gave you the focus you wanted and everything!"

Blaine let out a choked laugh and threw his arms around Kurt's neck.

"Blaine! Blaine that's not all…" Kurt said hurriedly, still scanning the letter, "It says there's more info online that they didn't include in the letter because they're going eco-friendly…and Blaine! Blaine baby they gave you a partial scholarship – I think over half your tuition is covered!"

"What?" Blaine asked, shocked. He unwound himself from Kurt's neck to finally look at the letter himself.

Indeed, the letter said he had earned a scholarship based off his academic record at Fordham as well as his many diverse extracurricular activities and that he'd need to maintain at least a 3.25 to maintain the money the school was giving him. Blaine was stunned. His parents had plenty of money, but three years of law school was expensive for just about anyone. This would help so much.

Blaine carefully folded the letter and put it and the other pieces of mail back in his breast pocket. Kurt gently placed his hands on either side of Blaine's face and leaned in close.

"I am _so_ proud of you Blaine. You are going to make such a good lawyer." Blaine jerked forward to close the gap between himself and Kurt and kissed him fiercely. Kurt kissed back eagerly as Blaine's hands clasped his back and pulled him in closer so their chests were touching. Blaine's tongue pressed against Kurt's lips, pushing its way inside to lap against Kurt's. Kurt's mouth was warm and welcoming, he tasted like his afternoon latte and the unique slightly sweet taste that could only be described as _Kurt._

Blaine was too happy and overwhelmed to really think about the fact they were in a moving vehicle on the way to the movies and instead broke the kiss and began attacking Kurt's neck and jaw line with kisses and nibbles.

"Blaine…" warned Kurt, slightly frozen in place due to the magical things Blaine was doing to his neck, "_Blaine…_" Blaine seemed perfectly obvious as he started unbuttoning the top buttons of Kurt's dress shirt and breathed against the shell of Kurt's ear, "Want, you. Want you inside me. _Now_." A shiver of desire ran through Kurt and he tangled a few fingers in Blaine's curls.

The cab driver coughed loudly at this and Kurt smiled embarrassedly at the older man, "Um, hmm" *giggle* "Could you, could you please take us home instead of to the theatre please?"

The cab driver let out a gruff laugh and made a wild U-Turn. They made it back to the apartment in a few minutes and Kurt threw a twenty at the driver as Blaine pulled him by the hand from the cab.

They dashed back inside and Kurt squeaked out a quick "He got in!" to Amy's confused face as Blaine pulled him into the open elevator.

Blaine's mouth was on his the moment the elevator doors closed. Kurt was grateful the elevator was empty as it sped towards the ninth floor and a breathy moan escaped his lips as Blaine's hand found his ass and cupped it roughly.

Kurt mirrored the action on Blaine's ass, earning him a low groan of approval from the shorter boy. Blaine's hand dove into Kurt's front pocket and groped around until he found the keys to their apartment (and perhaps a few "accidental" palms at Kurt's rapidly hardening arousal), and he fumbled with the lock outside their door, desperate to get inside but unwilling to take his mouth and eyes off Kurt.

Finally the door opened with a click and the two young men stumbled inside. Shoes were kicked off hastily followed by jackets (Kurt managing to land his jacket rather gracefully on a chair while Blaine's jacket lied crumpled on the ground) and Kurt was wrenching off Blaine's scarf as Blaine guided them into their bedroom.

Kurt pulled Blaine's shirt up and over his head, exposing his toned chest and dark trail of hair. Blaine smiled at him, expression caught between lust, excitement and laughter. Blaine reached forward to finish unbuttoning Kurt's dress shirt. "I love you."

"I love you too Blaine," said Kurt, shrugging the shirt off his shoulders. "I am so proud of you, you're going to do so well and now we know you'll be in New York with me in the fall and-"

Blaine hushed Kurt in a soft kiss, their lips moving in sync with each other. "Even if I hadn't gotten in, I couldn't leave you. I wouldn't even be here without you. All those nights where you cooked and cleaned and did everything while I was shut away studying for the LSATs last fall, and I know I made you look over my application essays about ten millions times and-"

It was Kurt's turn to interrupt Blaine, "All worth it. You're worth it. I love you Blaine, and as nice as it is to be appreciated, I believe I was _about_ to fuck my soon-to-be-law-student-boyfriend and I'd _really_ like to get back to that," Kurt said with a wicked smile.

"Would you?" Blaine questioned, raising a triangle shaped eyebrow at Kurt as he sat on their plush queen sized bed.

Kurt climbed on top of Blaine, straddling him. He pressed their chests together and licked a line from the base of Blaine's neck to the underside of his earlobe, causing Blaine's Adams Apple to bounce up and down. Kurt panted into Blaine's ear in the most obscene way, "Yes, and I know you want me." He jutted his hips forward and they came together with Blaine's, both men's hardness' pressing insistently against their tight pants, begging for friction.

"Gah," whined Blaine, "yes, please, oh god Kurt…" mumbled Blaine, his nails clawing at the soft skin of Kurt's back.

Kurt growled as he unbuttoned Blaine's jeans, "why do we never remember to take these off _before_ we get in bed?" he asked to no one in particular. Soon enough however both Blaine and himself had shimmied out of their jeans, and were kissing heatedly, legs intertwined, clad only in pink boxers (Blaine) and silver boxer briefs (Kurt). Kurt's thoughts were hazy but happy as he licked and sucked at the delicate skin around the shell of Blaine's ear and his hands, one twirled in Blaine's soft curls and the other rubbing one of Blaine's sensitive nipples between his thumb and forefinger. Blaine's eyes were closed and his mouth hung open as his breath came in shallow gasps.

"Kurt…_Kurt_…Kurt please, touch me, fuck me, something, anything…" Blaine begged, thrusting his hips forward into Kurt's.

Kurt tugged at the waistband of Blaine's boxers, hand ghosting over the prominent bulge of Blaine's erection as the boxers slid down his legs and off completely, "That, I can do," he said. He reached over Blaine's side and into their nightstand, taking out their lubricant (which was nearly empty, he really needed to buy more next time they were out) and a pink condom.

He tore the wrapper on the condom and slid it onto himself. He poured a generous amount of lubricant onto his hand and slicked himself and his fingers up with it. He told Blaine to lie on his side and he lifted one of Blaine's legs up and over his own hips. With a graceful arm Kurt reached between them and closed his lube slicked hand around Blaine, eliciting a sharp gasp from the slightly shorter man. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's shoulders, pulling him tightly to him. Kurt pumped his hand tightly up and down around Blaine, rubbing the swollen head of his cock with his thumb. "I love touching you," whispered Kurt honestly, he did love the feel of his soft hand around Blaine's wet, hot and hard member, knowing he was hard because of him.

Kurt pumped Blaine's cock with one hand and used the other to massage his balls, earning him a series of "fuck fuck fuck"s from Blaine's lips as he pressed against the pulse points and extra sensitive nerves around Blaine perineum. He ran his nails against Blaine's inner thighs, gently urging Blaine's legs further apart. Kurt prodded his fingers backwards slowly until his index finger came into contact with Blaine's tight entrance. Blaine thrust gruffly up against Kurt with a moaned, "please" and Kurt swirled his finger around the opening, teasing Blaine.

Kurt pressed a finger into Blaine and felt the muscles tense and relax around him. He pushed until he was knuckle deep and the tight ring of muscle grew accustom to Kurt's intrusion. Blaine's face was flushed and slightly sweaty. "Love you so much," he choked out before burying his face into the crook of Kurt's neck, sucking and nipping at the skin. Kurt eased his finger out before gently pushing two fingers and then a third into Blaine, scissoring him and stretching out the tight ring of muscles. Blaine bared down as his muscles relaxed, allowing Kurt to curl his fingers enough to find Blaine's "ah, ohgodthereyesthereohKurt" prostate.

Kurt thrust his fingers into Blaine as Blaine shifted up and down to thrust against Kurt's hand, "more" he cried out. Kurt couldn't wait anymore either, his skin felt like it was on fire and he needed to be inside his boyfriend this very second. He withdrew his fingers, added more lube to his arousal and rearranged some pillows on the bed to better align Blaine.

"Do you wanna be on your stomach?" Kurt asked. Blaine often favored that position when Kurt was penetrating him.

Blaine shook his head, "Nuh, wanna, wanna look at you."

Blaine gazed up at Kurt with his beautiful hazel eyes, eyes full of lust and love. "Okay baby."

Kurt grabbed another pillow and shifted Blaine around so his ass was lifted several inches off the bed. He positioned himself at Blaine's entrance and leaned forward to kiss Blaine's forehead. "Love you."

Blaine wrapped his legs around Kurt's back and Kurt pushed himself into the tight heat that was his boyfriend. No matter how often they had sex (which was fairly often, not including the March midterms drought) Kurt didn't think he'd ever tire of the exquisite feeling of being inside his boyfriend, the muscles inside Blaine engulfing him, wrapping him in delicious friction and heat.

Kurt gave Blaine a moment for the slight pain to dissipate as the countertenor filled him to the brim, and within a few moments Blaine was moaning, "move, move, move" to Kurt.

Kurt pulled almost entirely out of Blaine before thrusting gently back in. Blaine's cock rubbed against the tight muscles of Kurt's stomach as Kurt increased his pace on his thrusts into Blaine. Blaine kept his eyes locked on Kurt as the two rocked back and forth, Kurt's strong leg muscles propelling him forward and Blaine's hips pushing him backward, each meeting each other thrust for thrust. "Ungh, Kurt, _Kurt_, oh god" Blaine groaned as Kurt rubbed up against his prostate.

"Yeah?" Kurt asked teasingly.

"Yes, yes, oh fuck, yes."

Oh and fuck yes it did feel good. It was true the angle was usually better for Blaine when he was on his back but Kurt had positioned himself just right so he was hitting Blaine's prostate with nearly every thrust and Blaine felt so full and the pressure was incredibly good. Every nerve ending in Blaine's body seemed to respond light an electric wire each time the head of Kurt's penis found that special spot inside him.

Kurt's hair stuck up in a hundred directions, pushed out of place by their rolling around and the light beads of sweat that covered both of them. Blaine couldn't get over how hot Kurt looked, his eyes wild yet focused, biting his lip in concentration, he was obviously trying to make this feel as good as possible for Blaine. He was succeeding.

Kurt ground his hips into Blaine, pushing himself as deep as he could into his lover, Blaine's slippery cock leaked beads of pre-cum as it jutted against Kurt's stomach and hips. He could feel the tight coils of orgasm building within him, he couldn't hold out much longer, he'd keel over and die if he tried. Kurt pulled Blaine earlobe into his mouth and raked his teeth against it. His breath hot and low in Blaine's ear, "come for me."

It was too much. Blaine felt himself tensing and catapulting over the edge as his orgasm hit him and he came hard between himself and Kurt. His inner walls contracted around Kurt and within moments Kurt was coming as well.

Kurt slumped forward, collapsing forehead to forehead with Blaine as they both came down from their respective highs. After a few moments, a deep breath and a chaste kiss Kurt pulled out of Blaine and rolled the condom off himself, tied it and threw it in the direction of their wastebasket. Blaine reached an arm over to the night stand for tissues to clean himself and Kurt up.

Blaine's hands found Kurt's face and he pulled him close, still panting slightly, "that was…you were…I love you Kurt."

Kurt wrapped a leg around Blaine and lazily ran his hand up and down Blaine's chest, "I love you too. You weren't half bad yourself babe."

Blaine stifled a yawn and shook his head, trying to fight the sleepy feelings that always seemed to befall him immediately after sex. "I need to call my parents," he said, kissing Kurt's forehead.

Kurt smiled at him, "I'm gonna call mine too!" He pressed his flushed lips to Blaine's and bounded out of bed in search of his cell. Both his and Blaine's were in their respective owners pants pockets and he tossed Blaine his.

"Thanks," Blaine called as Kurt pulled his boxer briefs back on and walked out of the room into the kitchenette.

Blaine dialed his parents home number, but was unsurprised when it rang several times before going to voicemail. He dialed his mother's cell phone as he heard Kurt chirping happily from the kitchenette to…Carole, Blaine guessed it was Carole. The phone rang and rang before he heard:

_You have reached Perla Anderson. I am unavailable currently, please leave your name and a brief message and I will return your call at my earliest convenience. _

Blaine sighed, his parents were never mean to him or anything, but they never seemed to be available when he needed them, "Hi Mom, it's me Blaine, I'm calling because I got my letter from NYULaw today finally. I got in, and they gave me some money so I think we should be able to handle the costs okay from what dad and I discussed. Kurt and I are really excited. Call me back. I love you."

He pressed end before dialing his dad, whose phone went straight to voicemail. Kurt giggled loudly from the kitchenette. He left a similar message for his dad as he had for his mom before getting out of bed, pulling on his boxer briefs and following after Kurt into the kitchenette.

Kurt squealed happily as he saw Blaine enter the room, "Hold on dad he's right here!" Kurt held the phone out to Blaine, beaming at him.

Blaine took the phone and heard the gruff but pleasant voice of Burt Hummel fill his ears, "Blaine! Congrats kid! Law school! You'll do great."

"Thanks Mr. Hum-Burt," (it had taken Blaine ages to stop calling Mr. and Mrs. Hummel by their last names though they both insisted upon it), Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine and snuggled in close to him, sighing happily. "Yeah I'm really happy."

"Did you call your parents yet?"

"Yeah, I left them both messages."

"Oh. Good. Well we're really proud of you kid."

A lump formed in Blaine's throat at Burt's kind words. "Thank you Burt, that…that means a lot to me."

"Law school is a big deal. You're going to be insanely busy and overworked the next three years."

"I know. But it'll pay off in the end, did Kurt tell you the school offered me a partial scholarship?"

"He did. Which is so great. I'm sure that'll help a lot and – oh hold on Carole wants to talk to you…"

"_**Blaine!**_Law School! NYULaw! That is so wonderful sweetheart. We are so proud of you! First Kurt's showcase news last week and now this! You boys are doing so well out there in New York."

"Thank you Carole. I'm really excited about Kurt's show; it's going to be really amazing I'm sure."

Blaine wouldn't ever admit to it but he loved talking to Kurt's parents. They were so open and expressive and they were _there_. Burt and Carole asked several more questions about Blaine's program and the Constitutional Law concentration and what Blaine wanted to get out of law school.

Eventually, Kurt took the phone from Blaine and chatted happily for a few more minutes with his parents before putting the phone on speaker so he and Blaine could say their goodbyes.

Kurt took his phone back and began a mass text to his "Favorites" Contacts list which included Finn, Rachel, Mercedes, Sam, Quinn, Mike, Tina, Brittany, Santana, Puck, Lauren, Dave, Mr. and Mrs. Schuester, and his FIT friends Mateo and Gil, informing them that Blaine had (finally!) been accepted. Blaine took out his own phone to send texts to David and Thad, as well as his Fordham buddies Morgan, Kevin and Amber. Within minutes each boys phones were abuzz with congratulatory texts. Blaine swelled with happiness. Sure his parents were pretty distant, but he had Kurt and Kurt's family and all of their good friends. This was a supremely good day. His stomach rumbled.

Kurt giggled at the gurgling sound, "How about we go get something to eat? Celebrate?"

Blaine smiled at him, "That sounds nice."

"I'll see who else can join us?" Kurt said, his thumbs already clicking away at his cell.

Blaine kissed Kurt's cheek, "You're wonderful." He turned and walked back to their bedroom so he could get dressed and fix his wild hair.

Kurt returned to their bedroom shortly afterward and quickly dressed in clothes designed from his own hand. He wore well fitted silky grey pants with a light green button down, a grey vest and a lavender bow tie. Blaine opted for a slightly more casual look, dark blue jeans and a cobalt blue polo. Kurt's phone buzzed several times as he fussed over his hair, trying to recreate the pre-sex perfection it had been when he had gotten in the elevator to meet Blaine earlier that afternoon.

"Okay so Mercedes, Jay, Quinn and Tina are joining us along with David, Morgan and Kevin, and we're meeting them at that new Thai place on 6th Ave in half an hour."

Blaine crossed the room and straightened Kurt's bowtie, "Thank you for everything" he said, leaning in to kiss Kurt on the nose.

Kurt smiled broadly and giggled, "It's nothing. OH! Yay! It finally stopped raining!" he exclaimed, glancing behind Blaine to look out their bedroom window.

Thankfully for Kurt's hair and expensive designer shoes the rain had indeed stopped and the boys made the easy trip by bus to the new Thai restaurant just in time to meet their friends.

Mercedes, Jay and Quinn waited for them outside the restaurant. Mercedes pulled Blaine into a tight hug and Jay clapped him on the shoulder. "Congratulations Baby! We knew you could do it! Plus," Mercedes said, releasing Blaine from her grip, "you're gonna need that law degree to keep White Boy here in designer duds."

Blaine laughed, "I think Kurt's going to be wiping the floor with the other designers by the time I finish school."

"Damn straight."

Kurt and Blaine each hugged Quinn, who also congratulated Blaine though she didn't seem as happy to be there as Mercedes and Jay. Kurt offered her a concerned tilt of his head but she shook him off mouthing "later." Tina turned up a few minutes later with David and Morgan in tow, having ridden the subway over with them. Last to arrive was a harassed looking Kevin who mumbled something about hating the subway as the eight of them made their way into the restaurant.

It was nice that so many of them had been able to get together so spur of the moment, thought Kurt. He knew Mercedes (and Rachel) were rehearsing in earnest for their yearend concerts at Juliard, Jay was working night and day managing a Foot Locker to support himself while he finished school, Tina was busy working on an anthology of her poetry and Quinn kept busy with school and maintaining her title of Miss New York. David also attended Columbia, but for business, and was currently interning with…IBM Kurt was fairly sure. Morgan and Kevin were friends Blaine had met in his sophomore year at Fordham, Morgan was older, about 25, a tall bisexual man of Italian descent who had traveled extensively in Europe for two years before attending school, and Kevin, who Kurt was pretty sure was 22 and majored in Anthropology, and looked vaguely middle eastern.

They all ordered and fell into easy animated conversation. Most of them were either already good friends or in David's case, used to hanging out with the old New Directions crew from the many parties and get-together's Kurt and Blaine had thrown over the years. Morgan and Kevin were relatively new to the fold but fit in well. Jay, who Mercedes had been seeing for quite some time, got along swimmingly with Kurt and Tina, but often was at odds with Mercedes roommate, Quinn.

Blaine worked the room like a pro. His years of private school and natural dapperness allowing him to charm everyone in the room, though he kept his eyes on Kurt much of the night, smiling at him adoringly.

They stayed for desserts and coffees and chatted, sharing professor horror stories, as well as Morgan, Kevin and David's plans for after graduation (No idea, Grad School and MBA program respectively). The waiter bitched emphatically about splitting their bill but was eventually mollified with a few moments of fake flirting from Tina.

After many congratulations and hugs everyone said goodnight and Kurt and Blaine headed towards the nearest bus stop to go home. Kurt's phone buzzed.

**Me:**_ Blaine got into NYULaw!_

**Finn:** _That's awesome! Sorry it took me a while to text back, I was in the w8 room. Puck and Dave say congrats to Blaine 2._

**Me:**_ It's cool. We went out for Thai with a bunch of people to celebrate. I'll tell him you said congrats._

**Finn:**_ Thanks. When r u guys coming home? Rachel told me, but I forgot and she's scary if I ask again._

**Me: **_We're flying out with her and 'Cedes about a week after Blaine graduates. The 23__rd__ I believe. Blaine's parents are coming the weekend he graduates along with mom and dad._

**Finn:** _Oh good. Thanks Kurt. How R U anyway?_

**Me:** _I'm good Finn. My line is going to be in the showcase this summer. How're you?_

**Finn: **_Ur Line? Like a pencil line? I'm okay, ready for summer._

**Me: **_No, my *clothing* line….the clothes I designed and made. Nevermind. I'm glad you're good. I gtg we're home now._

**Finn:** _K. Love ya Bro._

Kurt smiled.

**Me: **_Love you too Finn._

The bus came to halt about two blocks from their apartment and they got out hand in hand. The sky had finally cleared and the moon shone brightly across the Manhattan sky. Blaine thought Kurt's skin looked particularly delectable in the moonlight. He pulled Kurt's hand up to his mouth and kissed his knuckles. Kurt giggled and blushed. "I love you."

"I love you too Blaine," Kurt answered, pulling Blaine into a long lazy kiss. They were both yawning now, it was late and the adrenaline of the last several hours was beginning to wear off. The waved sleepily at Donald, the night receptionist as they made their way into the building of their apartment and into the elevator.

Blaine quickly changed into pajama pants and fell asleep moments after hitting the pillow on his and Kurt's bed. Kurt on the other hand changed slowly before heading into the bathroom for his nightly moisturizing routine. He climbed into bed about half an hour later and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, enjoying being the big spoon.

With a final kiss to the back of Blaine's neck Kurt's eyes fluttered closed and he too fell into a peaceful slumber.

**The end of chapter one. Worth continuing? Only way to know is if you Review! **

**Chapter Two: Blaine's graduation. **

**I'm thinking this story will highlight significant events in Kurt and Blaine's lives over the next few years. I have a lot mapped out in my head but don't know where the "end" will be yet. Love it or hate it please review! I'm always looking for suggestions about how to keep their sex life interesting (without immediately delving into extremes) so any ideas are appreciated greatly. Not everyone can write smut like beautifulwhatsyourhurry - but I try to keep things hot and lovey. **


	2. Chapter 2

**First of All, Thanks to sweetseal, mist-foggy, GreatPretending, Peachouille, GetInLineHeIsMine and Tasarhina for reviewing! It is greatly appreciated! Mist-foggy: The issue with Quinn will be examined further I promise! There are also some other plot points mentioned in chapter one that I'm hoping people picked up upon (specifically a certain Mr. and Mrs.). Thank you as well to everyone who added the story or myself to their alerts or favorites. REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**

**Second, I realized I forgot my "I don't own anything" disclaimer. Well, of course I don't own Glee or any other brand related items I may mention. All I own are my OCs and my own thoughts.**

**Anyway, please review if you are so inclined, I greatly appreciate any and all feedback! I have the major plot arcs for this story already mapped out but if there's anything in particular someone would like to see (be it smutty or fluffy) let a gal know! On to the story. This chapter is broken up in to segments because it would be WAY too long to include every single moment. Lemme know how it flows. **

The final weeks of the semester passed in a blur. Final papers, exams and the first fittings for Kurt's menswear line kept both men rushing around. More than once Blaine came home to half naked men in his apartment, Kurt dashing about with pins sticking out of his mouth, brow furrowed, measuring tape in hand. It was lucky Blaine wasn't the jealous type. On this particular afternoon Blaine came home to Kurt pushing around their furniture.

"What are you doing? Do you need help?" he asked, setting his messenger bag down on the coffee table that now sat awkwardly against the wall near the archway to the kitchenette.

"My parents are coming tomorrow! Our apartment is too small! How are we going to navigate having four people here? We barely have enough room for the two of us…" Kurt said anxiously. He had his sleeves rolled up and was pushing the couch around.

Blaine unbuttoned his light jacket, "Kurt, it's only for a couple nights, we'll be fine. Let me help you, where are you going with that?"

Blaine glanced around their apartment; it was small, maybe not by New York City standards but definitely by impending-house-guests standards. Burt and Carole were expected to fly in tomorrow morning and were going to stay at the couples' apartment Saturday and Sunday night before they flew back to Lima on Monday. Blaine's parents were flying in Saturday afternoon, staying for Blaine's graduation Sunday morning and flying back out later that afternoon. _They_ were staying at a Hotel.

Blaine rolled up his sleeves as well and resigned himself to letting Kurt direct them in arranging and rearranging the furniture until there was, magically, seemingly much more free space inside their living room. He and Kurt collapsed together on the couch once Kurt finished alphabetizing their bookshelf (under some Kurt-logic that doing this also made the apartment look bigger and more "streamlined")

Blaine softly caressed Kurt's cheek with one hand as Kurt curled into him on the couch, "how'd you get to be so good at this?"

Kurt positioned his face royally, "natural talent," he said haughtily before breaking out in a grin and kissing Blaine softly, "I can't believe you're graduating in two days. Where has the time gone?"

Where had the time gone indeed? Sometimes, particularly during a midterms or finals week stretch Blaine felt like he had been in college for a hundred years, other times he felt like it had been just yesterday that he was singing with the Warblers and meeting Kurt at Dalton. Freshman year he had been away from Kurt, living in a dorm at Fordham with a very strange but harmless roommate named Geo. That had been difficult, spending so much time away from Kurt and being alone in the city apart from David who had begun his freshman year at Columbia. Looking back on it however the time apart had really solidified in Blaine's mind that he and Kurt were in this for the long run, one of the lucky few couples who would later tell their grandchildren they were high school sweethearts.

Sophomore year Kurt lived in his own dorm room at FIT and Blaine was randomly assigned his now-good friend Amber as a roommate as part of Fordhams Gender-Blind housing pilot program. In Blaine's junior year Kurt and Blaine had decided to move in together and though learning each other's living habits was sometimes challenging and frustrating both young men loved being around each other and enjoyed all the benefits of domesticity together.

**BREAK**

**Finn:** _Tell Blaine I said congrats Man, sorry I can't b there_

**Me: **_I will and it's cool Finn. We understand and I don't think there is space or food in this apartment to contain you._

**Finn:**_ That's prolly right. :P I just got off the phone will mom. They're all packed to come tomorrow morning. _

**Me: **_I talked to her too. Blaine and I are excited to show them around New York a little more tomorrow._

**Finn:**_New York is awesome man. I don't think I could ever get Rachel to leave. Idk what I'm gonna do in NYC but I think that's where Rach and I will end up after school._

**Me:**_ You're probably right but let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'll tell Blaine you said congrats. We'll see you when we come home on the 23rd. Don't forget Rachel wants you to "surprise" her with flowers and balloons at the airport._

**Finn:**_ Like I could, her dads have called twice to talk about mylar versus latex balloon choices. Love ya Kurt._

**Me:** _Good luck with that. Love you too Finn._

Kurt placed his phone on the coffee table and walked into their kitchenette where Blaine was finishing up dinner. Kurt took out a bottle of Riesling from the fridge to go with the yummy looking Chicken Parm Blaine had made.

He poured two glasses and sat down as Blaine turned with two plates and sat them on the small table. "Thanks sweetheart."

"You're welcome," Blaine said, smiling at him. "What did you do today besides move all of our furniture around in 100 combinations?"

Kurt stuck his tongue out at Blaine, "You know you liked watching my ass as I moved the bookshelf around," he said boldly, "but other than that I had a meeting with Gil to look over the accessories and stuff she's making for my showcase, I confirmed our reservation for dinner tomorrow night with both our parents and I had lunch over in Queens with Quinn."

"How is Quinn? She seemed kinda bummed the other night at dinner…"

"That new guy she was seeing? Josh? They broke up. He cheated on her."

"Oh, that sucks."

"Yeah, and at first she just thought she deserved it after all the cheating she did in high school-"

"No! But she's so different now-"

"_I_ know that. She still gets attached to her titles though and had told some Miss New York interviewers about him though so then she had some awkward questions to answer. This is really good by the way. Anyway though I think she's okay. They didn't date for very long and apparently while the sex was pretty good his personality was a bit dry."

"Oh. Well I'm glad she's okay."

"Yeah, and you know I think she hit it off with your friend Kevin at dinner, she asked about him, twice."

"Oh? Hmm, I don't know if I want to subject Kevin to Quinn-kidding, kidding- but yeah, I can see them getting along. They're both coming to graduation, right?"

"Yeah, you got all the tickets right? Cause there's me, my parents, your parents, David, Mercedes and Quinn – the 8 of us."

"Yeah I picked them up last week; Morgan gave me his extra ones since he's not going. Kevin told me his parents are making him go to graduation so they should see each other there."

The two finished their meal in pleasant conversation about Blaine's favorite memories from school and how much the two had enjoyed both Rachel and Mercedes' yearend show at Juliard the previous weekend.

Kurt cleared the table after dinner while Blaine called his parents. He was surprised when his dad picked up on the third ring.

"Oh! Hey dad."

"Hello Blaine."

"I was calling to confirm everything for tomorrow."

"Right. I can't talk very long. Your mother and I are flying in to JFK at 3:30 and then we're checking in to the Crowne Plaza. Dinner is at 7 at Dinosaur Barbeque in west Harlem right?"

"Right."

"I don't know why we're not going somewhere nicer though."

"Dad we talked about this. _I_ like Dinosaur BBQ and it's my graduation so I get to pick. Furthermore, Kurt's parents are spending enough just flying out here; I don't want them spending a fortune on dinner too."

"We pay for that apartment for you two, I don't see why-"

"Drop it dad."

"Fine. Anyway, dinner at 7 and your graduation is Sunday at 10, correct?"

"Yes. I have to be there at 9 so you should meet Kurt and his family at 9 at the apartment and you can all go over together. Our friends will meet you there."

"You said the ceremony is over at 1? Well our flight is at 3 so we'll be off after the ceremony."

"Okay."

"I have to go. Bye Blaine."

"Bye Dad. Tell mom I said hi."

Blaine hung up the phone annoyed. His parents had hardly said a word to him about his graduation other than a military drill style run though of times and places to be there and to complain about why Kurt's parents weren't staying in a hotel and why they weren't going to a fancier place for dinner on Saturday. Blaine was grateful his parents were paying for his schooling and the apartment for him and Kurt but if they brought it up even once with Burt and Carole he was going to lose it.

Kurt had finished with the dishes and walked in to the living room, hugging Blaine from behind and kissing the back of his neck. The slight tension in Blaine's neck and upper back relaxed and he turned to kiss Kurt properly. His lips felt tingly from the wine and Kurt's mouth was soft and warm against his own.

"Mmm," Blaine sighed against Kurt's lips, his arms around Kurt's waist, "what do you wanna do now?"

Kurt's hands drifted southward to Blaine's back pockets and he dipped a hand into the left one, "you."

Blaine's face lit up and he pulled Kurt closer to him. "You are so beautiful."

Kurt blushed, which Blaine found adorable that Kurt was so easy to flush after all this time.

"Come on cowboy – my parents are going to be here the next two nights so I want to take advantage of our alone time while we've got it."

"Yes sir," joked Blaine as he let Kurt guide him into their bedroom.

Blaine shut the bedroom door behind him and kissed Kurt's cheek before kissing a slow, achingly slow, line from his cheek to his mouth. Kurt closed his eyes and was moving his lips slightly as he impatiently waited for Blaine's mouth to be on his. Finally Blaine kissed him on the mouth and moved his hands to run along Kurt's back, fingers playing at the hem of his shirt. Kurt kissed him back eagerly and let Blaine pull his shirt up and over his head, breaking their kiss only for a second before he crushed his lips into Blaine's and licked playfully at Blaine's bottom lip. Blaine let out a hushed moan at this and kicked off his shoes and socks.

Kurt loved when Blaine undressed him. Sure he was perfectly capable of taking off his own clothes and often did before sex with Blaine but there was something about having Blaine's hands on him as he removed layers of Kurt's clothing with that look in his eyes like Kurt was the most desirable thing in the world that turned Kurt on so much.

Blaine had that look in his eyes right now as he rubbed at the soft skin and toned flesh of Kurt's sides. Kurt kicked off his own shoes and got to work unbuttoning Blaine's shirt. It fell with a whoosh to the ground and Kurt took advantage of the newly exposed skin to kiss, lick and suck at the skin of Blaine's collar bone, skin much darker than his own porcelain, skin that Kurt loved in every possible way. Kurt nibbled gently around Blaine's shoulder before plunging his tongue into the dip of skin between his shoulder blade and neck, tasting the slightly salty and pure _boy_ –ness of his boyfriend's skin.

Blaine's fingertips found Kurt's belt buckle as he imagined that expert tongue, which was now licking in earnest, around his cock.

Blaine got Kurt's belt off but couldn't find the zipper to Kurt's pants. He tried to push them off with just his hands but that didn't work either.

"Wh-what? Why can't I-?" he breathed, frustrated.

Kurt sighed and pulled away, "this is Marc Jacobs. The zipper is in the back."

Kurt unzipped himself with one hand and pushed his pants down and off, leaving himself in nothing more than black and purple polka-dot boxers.

Kurt then unbuckled and unzipped Blaine from his khaki shorts, pushing them down and letting Blaine kick them off. With a smile he pushed Blaine gently backwards until he was sitting on the bed. Kurt then took Blaine's hand and brought it to his mouth. He kissed each digit before pulling the middle finger into his mouth.

Blaine cock, which was half hard already, twitched in earnest as Kurt's tongue swirled around Blaine's finger. He whimpered as Kurt knelt before him. Kurt urged Blaine's hips up so he could tug down Blaine's underwear and Blaine's hands rubbed small circles against Kurt's neck as Kurt spread Blaine's legs apart and bent his head to kiss and suck at the delicate skin of Blaine's inner thighs.

"_Fuck!_ Kurt!"

Kurt took Blaine's arousal in his hand and held it firmly as he licked a line from the side of Blaine's knees to riiight before his cock and repeated the motion on his other leg. Blaine loved and hated being teased like this. Kurt wasn't moving his hands at all, just holding him up. Blaine's legs thrust upward in desperation.

"Patience" Kurt breathed, his breath cool over the heated skin of Blaine's groin.

Kurt ran one hand of his nails along Blaine's stomach before licking his lips and kissing the head of Blaine's penis. He licked slow lazy circles before licking up and down the shaft.

"Kurt, oh, don't stop," Blaine opened his eyes and looked down just in time to see Kurt's mouth engulf him and he was hit with the visual of Kurt with his cock in his mouth as well as sensation of the delicious wet heat that was Kurt's mouth.

Kurt sucked hard on Blaine as his tongue darted back and forth, running along the underside of Blaine's cock. Kurt kept his ocean blue eyes locked on Blaine's as he took as much of Blaine into his mouth as he could and bobbed his head up and down.

Blaine felt the beginnings of the familiar "gonna come" tension in his belly, "Kurt! Kurt you gotta, ungh stop if you wanna…oh…"

Despite his words Blaine whined with loss when Kurt unsealed his lips from Blaine's cock and stood up. After a few seconds to cool down Blaine pulled Kurt onto the bed with him. They rolled together back and forth on the bed, Blaine faintly tasting himself on Kurt's tongue.

Finally they settled on the bed with Blaine straddling Kurt. Blaine hovered over Kurt's body before bending forward to kiss each of Kurt's collarbones, slowly making his way down Kurt's chest, running his lips and fingertips over Kurt's pectorals and over his abs. His mouth found Kurt's right nipple and he pulled it into his mouth with his teeth. Kurt thrust his hips up to grind against Blaine's cock, Kurt's arousal straining in his boxer shorts.

Blaine traced the slight outlines of Kurt's abdominal muscles with his tongue, making Kurt jerk forward as he was caught between moaning and giggling from the slight tickling sensation. Finally Blaine made his way down to Kurt's boxer shorts and he pressed his mouth around the soft material where Kurt's boxers were already slightly damp from pre-cum.

Blaine grazed his teeth over the waistband of Kurt's boxers and tugged them down to Kurt's knees where Kurt kicked them off the rest of the way.

Kurt grabbed a couple pillows and positioned them under his hips while Blaine took out a condom and their recently replenished bottle of lube. Blaine rolled on the condom and slicked up himself and his right hand with lube. Kurt spread his legs and bent his knees and Blaine swirled his lubed finger around Kurt's entrance as he shifted up to kiss Kurt softly.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," said Kurt, biting his lip as Blaine's finger pushed inside of him.

After a few minutes of prep Kurt was ready, pulling Blaine's hips toward his as Blaine entered him.

Blaine pumped in and out of him, the dull slight burn quickly melting into hot full bliss. Always the gentleman Blaine started out slow and controlled. Too slow for Kurt's liking.

"Guh, Blaine, faster…please," groaned Kurt, wrapping his hand around himself as Blaine's hands were otherwise occupied rocking him and Kurt together.

Blaine increased the pace of his thrusts, glancing down to watch Kurt fondle himself. _Jesus that's hot_.

"How's that?" he said with a smirk as Kurt began to moan in high little squeaks.

"Ah, ah, oh, yes, yes."

Kurt's toes curled of their own accord and he knew (especially when Blaine angled his hips, _fuck_, just like that and hit his prostate oh so right) he was reaching his crescendo, Blaine pushed him over the edge with a few choice swear words in Kurt's ear and Kurt was coming in streams over his hand and Blaine's stomach. Blaine thrust into him a few more times as the contractions of Kurt's orgasm sent shots of pleasure through Blaine's body and he was coming as well.

Sweaty and sated Kurt and Blaine held each other, panting as their breathing returned to normal. Blaine pulled out and rolled off of Kurt. He disposed of the condom and climbed back in to bed as Kurt wiped the cum off his hand and Blaine's stomach. Blaine pressed his lips to Kurt's, barely making contact due to the fact they were both smiling so hard.

"I love you."

"I love you too," *yawn* "Kurt." Blaine's eyes fluttered closed as he settled on his back next to Kurt.

Kurt turned on his side towards Blaine, "Sweetheart?"

Blaine let out a soft snore. Too late, thought Kurt, Blaine was already fast asleep.

**BREAK**

Kurt's phone's alarm vibrated loudly promptly at 6am. Far earlier than either he or Blaine would prefer for a weekend (Kurt by about two hours, Blaine by about four or five) but Kurt's eyes shot open at the sound and he quickly silenced it. He stretched and turned towards his boyfriend. Blaine was sleeping peacefully, his long eyelashes catching the morning light.

Kurt shook Blaine's shoulder gently, "Blaine! Blaine wake up sweetheart! Blaine!" Blaine's hand groped forward to caress Kurt's face.

"Ugh, no, no too early," he said groggily, his eyes still shut.

Kurt leaned forward and kissed each of Blaine's eyelids, "Blaine I mean it. It's time to get up, my parents are going to be here at eleven and we have a ton of stuff to do. Blaine!"

Blaine reluctantly opened one of his eyes to peak out at Kurt, "hrmpf, how come you didn't say we had to get up _so_ early?"

Kurt pursed his lips good naturedly, "Because _someone_ can't stay awake two minutes after an orgasm for me to tell him, that's why!"

Blaine groaned and shifted away from Kurt. Kurt rolled his eyes and got out bed, pulling the covers down with him.

He grabbed towels and gave Blaine a sharp smack on his naked butt on his way into the bathroom, "Get Up Mr. Graduate!"

Kurt was right when he said there was a lot to get done before he and Blaine were venturing to JFK to pick up Burt and Carole. First he rearranged the furniture in the living room some more, trying out the pull out couch in various positions as he and Blaine would be sleeping on it the next two nights. Next he and Blaine not only changed the sheets on their bed but flipped and turned the mattress, put down a brand new mattress protector as well as brand new sheets and pillows ("Your _and_ my cum has been on those pillows my father's head is _not_ going to be resting anywhere near any affected areas!"). Finally he and Blaine made a picnic style lunch to have with his parents at the apartment's rooftop after they got back from JFK. Ten fifteen came before either of them were ready and they were dashing into a cab with Kurt still pinning a broach to his lapel.

Thankfully for everyone's nerves Burt and Carole's plane came right on schedule. Burt greeted each of the boys with bear hugs and Carole fussed over how grown up the two young men looked. After a quick stop at baggage claim Blaine hailed a cab and they made their way back to the apartment.

Do to the financial strains of putting Kurt through college Burt and Carole had never actually been to visit them in New York prior.

Kurt turned the key to their apartment and the four made their way inside. Kurt smiled widely as Carole gushed over how nicely Kurt had decorated their apartment. Kurt showed her photographs and knickknacks they had accumulated over the years as Burt and Blaine brought the luggage into the bedroom.

Burt's brow furrowed as he sat his suitcase at the end of Kurt and Blaine's bed.

"What's up Burt?" Blaine asked, leaning against their dresser.

"I've known you and your parents have been paying for this apartment since you and Kurt moved in together two years, but now that I'm here, that wasn't right Blaine, we should have helped more and-"

Blaine raised his hand to silence Burt, "I wanted Kurt and I to be able to live together. His school is expensive, and Kurt helps a lot. I would have starved to death if he hadn't taken care of all the grocery shopping and cooking this year. He buys most of our groceries and toiletries and stuff."

Burt didn't seem placated, "Still it isn't your job to take care of Kurt…"

Blaine stood up and looked Burt in the eye. "Kurt and I take care of each other. I love Kurt, I'm gonna marry him some day Burt. Don't worry about the bills or the apartment because someday Kurt's going to be paying all the bills with the profits from his fashion line while I serve my time as a public defender or something and make 11 dollars a year."

Burt finally relaxed and smiled, "You're a good kid Blaine."

"Thanks Burt."

**BREAK**

After a thorough tour of Kurt and Blaine's apartment the foursome took a walk to Central Park where Carole snapped photos and Burt remarked at how nice the park was in such a big city. The weather had spared them and the sun was warm but not stiflingly on their backs as they enjoyed the afternoon together.

Blaine's parents texted him after they landed at JFK and let him know they were on their way to check in at the Crowne Plaza. They'd be busy working remotely but would see everyone at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que at 7 like planned. Blaine was a little nervous about how dinner tonight and graduation tomorrow would go with his and Kurt's parents. They had only met twice previously, once when the kids were still in high school and again last fall at an all too awkward Thanksgiving dinner Carole had arranged. His parents weren't outright mean or anything, they were just so aloof and removed from everything. Burt had obviously felt uncomfortable as well and Blaine's dad had barely said a word. For his mothers part she had tried a bit to make conversation with Kurt but had ended up making a backhanded compliment about his outfit. Blaine was glad his parents were here, this was his college graduation after all, but he sighed heavily as Burt, Carole, Kurt and himself got on the subway towards west Harlem.

Kurt had heard the shock in Burt's voice when he told him a couple weeks ago that Blaine had made a reservation for his graduation-eve dinner at the BBQ joint that he had seen on an old episode of Man Vs. Food (_A/N: The MVF episode features the Syracuse, NY location not the NYC location_). Burt had obviously expected Blaine and his family to pick something a little more…well, formal. When they had first eaten there shortly after Kurt and Blaine moved in together, Blaine had to promise to do the dishes for a week in order to get Kurt to agree to go with him. Kurt had surprised himself by how much he had enjoyed the experience, despite the tattooed crowd, loud music and the sheer mess of Barbeque sauce.

Blaine's parents were already standing uncomfortably in front of the restaurant when Blaine and Kurt's family arrived. Gerald Anderson stood about a foot away from his wife, speaking in hushed tones to the person on the other end of his blackberry. From what Kurt could tell Blaine had gotten his eye from his father, though Mr. Andersons hazel eyes never sparkled the way his darling Blaine's did, as well as his height…or rather lack thereof. He stood in a conservative grey suit, bits of grey peppering his light brown hair. Perla Anderson was of a much darker complexion than her husband, which made sense as Kurt knew she was Filipino, she had thick curly black hair that was currently tied high on her head in a stiff bun. Blaine had inherited his hair from his mother, obviously, as well as the majority of his features especially her nose. Kurt supposed she could have been beautiful but her expression was always so blank and unreadable Kurt could never really tell. She was dressed in a simple black dress with silver heels and a silver chain necklace.

Blaine's mother stepped forward to hug Blaine briefly and Blaine's father hung up his phone and shook his son's hand. Carole moved tentatively to hug Mrs. Anderson, which she accepted awkwardly and Burt shook Mr. Andersons hand as well. Kurt wasn't sure exactly what to do, so he settled on a cautious pat to Mrs. Andersons arm and a quick handshake with Mr. Anderson.

Blaine let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, "Shall we go in then?"

Loud Blues music reverberated against the heavily graphitized walls. Blaine told the waitress that the Anderson party had arrived and she shuffled them through the crowd to a comfortable wooden booth in the back of the building. Burt, Carole and Blaine each ordered a beer (Blaine had turned about 12 shades of purple the first time he drank in front of Burt shortly after his 21st birthday after the memorable Rachel Berry House Party Train Wreck Extravaganza when he and Kurt were in high school), Kurt adorably ordered milk and Blaine's parents ordered martinis.

Burt tried to engage Mr. Anderson in conversation by talking about cars but it appeared that despite spending a summer building a car with his son Mr. Anderson had picked up far less car knowledge than Blaine had. Both Mr. and Mrs. Anderson raised their eyebrows when Kurt piped up to debate with his dad about different types of engine styles.

"So Blaine, how're your old Dalton friends doing? Wes? David? Thad?"

Blaine was glad for his mothers attempt at conversation. The table had been silent once Kurt and Burt's debate died down and their meals had been delivered.

"They're all good mom. Wes is on study abroad from UCLA in Spain right now. He'll be back in Ohio in the middle of June I think. Right now he's in Madrid. Kurt and I got a postcard from him a few weeks ago. He liked the classes he took this semester and he hopes the study abroad experience will help him get a job after school."

"What was his major again?"

"International finance."

Mr. Anderson cut in, "I don't see why he didn't go to China for study abroad if he really wants to work in finance."

It was all Blaine could do not to roll his eyes, "Dad, Wes' parents are Chinese – he speaks fluent Mandarin. Now that he's been to Spain he speaks pretty fluent Spanish as well."

Blaine's dad looked impressed, a rare occurrence. "Oh, good then. That's good."

"Yeah. Anyway,David is graduating the week after me from Columbia but he's not going to his ceremony because his parents got him and Angela a trip to London for his graduation."

"They're going to England? Blaine you didn't tell me that," said Kurt. "I'd love to go there someday; I loved Paul Smiths last blog in Vogue UK."

Blaine caressed Kurt's knee under the table, "David just found out a couple days ago and only told me this morning. We were a little _busy_ this morning for me to check my texts."

Though Blaine hadn't meant anything suggestive by the comment, all four parents looked up at this with Mr. Anderson looking like he might choke on his brisket.

Kurt tittered nervously, "Blaine! I made Blaine help me move the furniture around in our living room for like the third time this morning."

Burt visibly relaxed and chuckled, Carole burst out laughing.

The rest of dinner passed without incident. Kurt invited Blaine's parents back to their apartment for dessert but they declined, citing work that still needed to be done. Kurt kept his mouth shut but was silently fuming, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson had never seen their apartment and Kurt couldn't believe they wanted to work on a beautiful Saturday night in New York City rather than walk around or see where their son had been living for the past two years. Blaine assured him it was fine with pleading eyes in a silent conversation across the table.

Blaine's father flagged a cab for himself and his wife while the rest made the short walk back to the subway and home to midtown.

Kurt wowed everyone with his bananas foster cake and the four settled in the living room to watch a movie with Carole and Burt on the couch and Kurt and Blaine cuddled in an armchair.

Burt and Carole had gone to bed following the movie. Kurt had gone off into the bathroom for his nightly moisturizing routine, leaving Blaine in the living room catching the tail end of Sports Center. Blaine shifted around on the uncomfortable pull out. No matter how he laid the metal bar of the bed seemed to poke him in the back. Kurt was such a light sleeper Blaine wondered if he'd be able to rest at all. Once Blaine was asleep he'd be out like a light but Kurt would wake to the slightest disturbance.

Blaine took Kurt's pillow and shoved it under his back, cushioning him slightly from the metal bar. Kurt walked back in to the room and looked at the bed in confused.

"Where'd my pillow go? I know I took both of ours off our bed this morning….did I leave it somewhere?" Kurt muttered to himself.

Blaine smiled. "C'mere."

Kurt raised his eyebrows but obediently got into bed.

Blaine pulled Kurt close so most of Kurt was on top of him, "What're you do-"

Blaine took Kurt's hand and pressed it to the metal bar, "yuck."

"Yeah. I figure if you want to get any sleep at all you'll need a cushion. I figured I'd do. Your pillow is under my back."

Kurt smiled and rested his head against Blaine's chest. Blaine wrapped his arm across Kurt's back to keep him in place. "I love you Blaine."

"I love you too. Night."

*Yawn* "Good night."

**BREAK**

For once in his life Blaine blinked his eyes open before his alarm went off, even before Kurt. Excitement rushed through his veins. Today he was graduating from college! Part of him was totally dreading the ceremony – leaving Kurt and Kurt's parents alone with his own parents for an extended period of time, having to stand and wait and wait just to sit and wait and wait, listen to boring speeches, wait some more, have his name called, walk across a stage and then wait yet again while everyone else did the same. Still, another part of him was giddy with excitement and nerves. Blaine had worked hard his four years at Fordham, excelling in most of his classes (with the exception of the ridiculous math gen ed that landed him back in a most dreaded Trigonometry class), jamming with friends at Fordhams monthly open mic nights where anyone could come and sing or read poetry or do a skit or basically anything they wanted, and spending hours and hours in the library over the past year prepping for the LSATs and his law school applications.

Blaine tilted his head forward to kiss the top of Kurt's head, "Good morning beautiful."

Kurt stretched, yawned and looked sleepily up at Blaine, "Guhmorun."

Kurt rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and turned from sleepy and dazed to excited and happy. "Hey! You graduate today!"

"Mmhmm. I better get up, I gotta leave by 8:30 if I want to get there on time."

Carole trotted out of Kurt and Blaine's bedroom just as Blaine made his way into the bathroom to take a shower. She and Kurt set to making breakfast, Burt's loud snores slightly audible from the adjacent bedroom.

Kurt and Carole had decided to make crepes for breakfast and when Carole crushed her second egg into bits of shell and egg goo in her hand Kurt took the bowl away from her and leaned over to look at her closer, "Carole, what's up?"

"What? Nothing. Why?"

"Carole _you_ taught me how to make your famous buckwheat crepes…but today you can't crack an egg to save your soul, what gives?"

She sighed heavily before walking to the sink to rinse off her hand, "I'm sorry Kurt. I'm really excited and thrilled for Blaine, but today, today would have been Christopher and I's anniversary."

Kurt gasped and his eyes went wide. "Oh Carole, I can't believe I didn't remember! I'm so sorry. I didn't even think and –"

Carole held up her hand to silence Kurt, "Kurt, it's not your job to remember stuff like that. I wasn't even thinking about it at all until I woke up this morning. Don't look at me like that. It's fine. I'm glad I have Blaine's graduation to distract me. Your dad knows."

"Good. I know how he used to get, well, still kind of gets, in the beginning of November every year when he and my mom's anniversary comes around." Kurt looked at the ground, the faint, vague memory of being watched by his grandmother when his parents went out for their anniversary one year when he was six or seven playing in his head.

Kurt pulled her into a tight hug. After a long moment Carole let go and looked Kurt in the eye, "I'm good Kurt. I promise. But I don't think I should be making these crepes unless we wanna eat eggshells. How about I just set the table and pour some juice?"

"Okay Mom."

**BREAK**

Kurt was thankful for just the teensiest bit jealous of Quinn as she made easy conversation with Blaine's parents as they sat in uncomfortable bleachers waiting for Blaine's ceremony to begin. They sat in a long row, Burt, Carol, Kurt, Mercedes, Quinn, Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Anderson. David had been unable to make it due to an unexpected case of the flu – Kurt hoped he'd be well enough in time to make his trip to England. Burt held on to Carole's hand, rubbing small circles across her palm. Kurt forgot all about them however when he spotted Blaine entering the arena and started snapping pictures. Blaine looked so _handsome_ in his cap and gown. Blaine looked around for his family and friends for a moment before spotting Kurt and everyone on the left side of the bleachers.

The seven listened politely as a Senator droned on and on about how his time at Fordham had inspired his work and sense of personal integrity (the same Senator who had missed being indicted on felony fraud charges by an inch only two months prior), and Kurt cringed while the student elected speaker spent most of his five minutes making everyone uncomfortable as he shared his spring break stories, most of which involved donkeys and emergency rooms. Finally the students were called forward school by school, everyone in Kurt's group clapping more enthusiastically when Blaine's friend Kevin was called to the stage, and then really finally "Blaine Anderson" rang out from the speakers and everyone (save for Blaine's parents who clapped loudly but remained seated) popped up out of their chairs with whoops and shouts of encouragement to Blaine.

Once all the students were called forward to receive their diplomas the crowd was finally dismissed. It took a minute but Blaine found Kurt beaming at him. He jogged over to his boyfriend, nearly knocking his cap off as he kissed Kurt enthusiastically. Both his and Kurt's faces were flushed by the time they pulled away and turned toward their parents. Carole and Mrs. Anderson had cameras out. Carole took photos of Blaine by himself, Blaine with his parents, Blaine with Kurt, Blaine with Kurt and his parents (Mercedes took that photo), and finally Blaine with Kurt, Mercedes and Quinn. Blaine's friend Kevin found them and more pictures were taken with Blaine with Kevin, Blaine with Kevin and Kurt, Blaine with Kevin, Kurt, Mercedes and Quinn. Finally Kevin took a picture of Blaine's friends and family. It was exhausting and Blaine's face stung slightly from smiling by the time Carole was satisfied.

Once the photos were taken, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson approached Blaine, hugged him, said they were proud and then begged off from the group with a quick excuse about their early flight.

Though Kurt was very focused on Blaine he couldn't help but notice the flirty glances Kevin and Quinn shared throughout the picture taking marathon. When everyone else made to leave Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear before making eye contact with Quinn and jerking his head over to Kevin. "Go for it," he mouthed silently. She looked hesitantly at Blaine who smiled knowingly. She walked over to Kevin who was now talking animatedly with his parents and Kurt sent her a wink as the rest of the clan made their way towards the exit of the arena.

Mercedes, Kurt and Blaine spent the rest of the afternoon (after making a pit stop at the apartment so Blaine could drop off his cap and gown and he, Kurt and the girls changed into more comfortable shoes) showing Carole and Burt around New York City. Mercedes boyfriend Jay joined them for dinner that evening at the apartment once he got out of work, bringing with him a large bag of Red Vines, Blaine's favorite candy, as a graduation gift. Rachel stopped by towards the end of the evening and after congratulating Blaine spent the rest of the evening reprising her newest original songs and quizzing Carole about how often Finn mentioned her at home.

The following morning Kurt and Blaine saw Burt and Carole off with hugs and "see-you-soon"s as the boys would be flying out of New York for a two-week trip to Ohio to visit everyone before returning to New York City for the rest of the summer.

That night as they snuggled back in their own bed (after re-flipping the mattress and replacing all the sheets and pillows) Blaine turned to Kurt, "I'm sorry my family is so….well, them."

Kurt frowned up at Blaine, "Don't apologize. They're your family. They made you so they must have done something right." Blaine opened his mouth to speak again but Kurt hushed him with a kiss.

"I love you. Go to sleep."

Blaine shook his head, "I love you too. Good night."

**End of Chapter Two! I hope you liked it, or, at least, thought it was passable seeing as you kept reading to this point. Like the story? Hate the story? Got feedback – Please review! The next chapter will be a two-part-er about Kurt and Blaine (and the rest of our Glee peeps)'s trip to Ohio. Lots to cover including some Kurtofsky friendship exploration and a trip to McKinley. It's my hope to have it finished and up (at least part one) in a few days. It's 4AM – time for bed I think.**


	3. Chapter 3, Part 1

**Thank you Everyone for the Reviews! I'm really pleased with the feedback I've been receiving and welcome any feedback and (constructive) criticism anyone has. Special thanks to sweetseal, mist-foggy, GreatPretending, Peachouille, GetInLineHeIsMine, Tasarhina, NicMct, sabriel81, Tasarhina AGAIN, marli-slashs fan, mardie186 and TeamBartie for reviewing. **

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE! Esp. since of course I don't own Glee or anything and the only "profit" I have is the joy in my heart when someone responds to my writing.**

**Thank you as well to the people who reviewed and mentioned the pacing of this fic – I was quite nervous about is so I'm glad ya'll seem okay with it. Some chapters will follow a single day, others (like this chapter) will follow several days and will have **BREAKS** in them so as not to include every mundane moment and be 30,000+ words. **

**Last thing. Glee Finale! OMG KLAINE and Samcedes! I know samcedes isn't in this fic but I've shipped them (in my head) since before prom (I think River Deep/Mountain High) but now they're canon. AND Klaine I love yous! PERFECT – and you'll see why. **

"Kurt, let's _go_ already…we're only going to be gone for two weeks…" said Blaine, exasperated as Kurt made his third trip back up to their apartment as the cab idled in front of their building.

"Blaine," Kurt shot back, rolling his eyes, "We've been dating for over four years….aren't you used to this by now?"

Blaine sighed. He _was_ used to it, but that didn't make it any less annoying. He stood stoically, leaning against the side of the cab and waited for Kurt to come back.

When Kurt returned holding Blaine's cell phone charger casually in his hand along with his last suitcase Blaine felt his annoyance ebb away, deciding to table his grumpiness in favor of taking the bag from Kurt and kissing his cheek.

Kurt grinned at him, "Alright, let's go."

The cab brought them to JFK and they met up with Mercedes, Rachel and Jay at the security gate. Jay and Mercedes stood nose to nose whispering to each other.

With a long kiss Mercedes and Jay said goodbye and he nodded to the others before heading back out to the cab pick-up station.

As he was leaving a large contingent of people and paparazzi entered the airport, "They're probably for me, I tweeted that I would be here," whispered Rachel in Kurt's ear. He rolled his eyes.

Lindsay Lohan, fresh off her latest stint in rehab, poked her head out from an oversized hoodie and glared at the crowd as she passed through the security gate. Rachel looked dejected as the paparazzi followed Ms. Lohan rather than Ms. Berry.

"Come on Ms. Berry, the plane is here," said Kurt, linking arms with her and leading her to the gate.

**BREAK**

Finn was waiting at the airport with pink lilies and gold star shaped balloons for Rachel. She ran to him in slow-motion movie style as soon as they let her off the plane and they hugged. It was less cheesy than you'd expect, thought Kurt. Rachel beamed as she carted off her flowers and balloons to baggage claim.

"What no balloons for your dear brother, huh Finn?" joked Kurt.

Caught off guard, Finn's eyes went wide "What? Uh, oh…I didn't, you didn't say you wanted, should I-"

Kurt hugged him, "Kidding Finn. _Kidding._ It's nice to see you."

Finn ruffled Kurt's hair, and Kurt only allowed himself a tiny split second wince. "It's nice to see you too Kurt."

"How'd your semester end?"

"It was good. Thank Grilled Cheesus I passed my chemistry gen ed finally this semester. Puck, Dave and I have two-a-days for football starting in the middle of June."

"Isn't Dave doing the Gay Games this summer?" Blaine asked as they piled in Finns car.

"Yeah, he talked to Beiste about it; she figures doing Ice Hockey with them for a few weeks won't detract from his football skills. I'm not sure what detract means but she's letting him go."

"Awesome."

Finn dropped Mercedes off at her house before bringing the four of them to Finn and Kurt's' parents. Blaine had told his parents he would stop by their house the following day, which they were fine with as they were busy traveling for work until tomorrow afternoon. The plan was for Blaine to stay over with Kurt most of the time during their two week visit anyway. Rachel's dads were waiting with Burt and Carole in the living room. Rachel flung herself at them at soon as she walked in, throwing her balloons and flowers at Finn's chest.

"Dad! Papa!" They hugged her tightly.

Everyone exchanged hugs before Carole announced dinner was ready. The eight squished around the small dining room table digging into the wonderful spread Carole had cooked and Hiram, one of Rachel's dads had brought. Neither of her dads was gifted in the culinary arts so Hiram had brought drinks, bread and dessert. Everyone laughed and discussed their plans for the time the kids would be home. Kurt and Blaine were planning on staying for two weeks; Rachel and Mercedes would be visiting for a month before returning to New York to work at a drama camp for kids. Quinn, David and Tina wouldn't be returning to Ohio at all due to their busy internship and jobs schedule. Quinn didn't actually live in Ohio at all anymore. The Miss America competition rules required entrants actually live IN the state they were competing so Quinn and her mom had moved to Westchester the summer before freshman year.

After dinner the Berry's departed and Finn trotted off with Blaine to play the newest version of COD in Finns room. Burt and Carole retired to the living room and Kurt went to his room to unpack. He put his ear buds on and rocked out to the Rent soundtrack while putting away all his toiletries, clothes and other items he and Blaine had brought with them for their trip. Kurt had just finished hanging up Blaine's dress shirts and pants when his phone buzzed with an incoming text.

**Dave K.: **_Hey, r u guys back?_

**Kurt: **_Yeah, we got here this afternoon. How're you?_

**Dave K.**_**:**__Im good. Liam is coming to visit next week, which is cool cuz I haven't seen him since spring break._

**Kurt:**_That's great. The four of us should do something; it'd be nice to see him again._

**Dave K.:**_ Ok. Oh-I talked to that kid from the GSA at McKinley, the one who wants us to come in_

**Kurt: **_Abby right? What did she say? When does she want us to go?_

**Dave K.: **_Their next meeting is on June 2__nd__. Does that work for u? _

**Kurt: **_That's fine with Blaine and me, that day works for you as well? _

**Dave K.: **_Yeah I can do that then too. I'm glad its not football season, I don't want to see Azimio._

**Kurt:**_ I still can't believe the school board gave him that coaching job after Beiste took her new position at OSU. But I don't think he'll be there. If he is and says anything I'll claw his beady little eyes out like I did that one time senior year._

**Dave K.: **_lol. That was pretty epic. K. I'll pick u guys up at ur dads on Tuesday at 3:30 then?_

**Kurt: **_Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks Dave. Take care._

**Dave K.: **_U2 Kurt_

Kurt smiled as he placed his cell on the nightstand and sat on the bed. He took each of Blaine's haphazardly folded t-shirts and undershirts and set out on refolding them before putting them into the dresser drawer.

He was glad the Gay/Straight Alliance he and Dave had founded was still alive, and thriving if what Abby told Dave was accurate. Dave had called him the previous week because Abby had contacted him through the clubs advisor to see if Dave, Kurt and/or Blaine (_A/N: All aboard the magical time/space continuum that is Glee…just go with it_) would come in to talk about their high school experiences as well as being out in college. The three had all accepted and were looking forward to seeing what the kids had done with the club over the last few years other than change its name from PFLAG to GSA.

**BREAK**

Kurt and Blaine had both sold their cars upon their moves to New York. Blaine because it was impractical to have his car sitting around at his parents and _really _impractical to try to bring it to New York, and Kurt because, well he could really use the nine grand to help pay for school. So the next day they borrowed Burt's truck and Blaine drove them to his parent's house.

Kurt had been there far more times than the elder Andersons had known about. They left Blaine alone so much that Blaine's house was the obvious choice for alone time. As far as Mrs. Anderson knew the time when Kurt and Blaine had come over for dinner two years ago was the first time Kurt had been to the house and Kurt only barely caught himself just as he was about to say, "Oh don't worry I know where I'm going," when Perla directed him towards one of the estates many bathrooms. Today however Kurt felt calmer in the knowledge that he wouldn't have to pretend not to know where anything was located in the Anderson home.

Blaine unlocked the front door to his house and found his parents in the living room. His father was reading the Sunday newspaper and his mother was yelling at someone on the phone. She quickly ended the call when she saw Blaine and Kurt hovering in the doorway to the room. "Blaine you're home."

"Hi mom. Hi dad."

Mr. Anderson looked over the top of the newspaper, "Hello Blaine." He went back to reading.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Anderson," said Kurt faintly.

Mrs. Anderson crossed the room and hugged her son. She pulled away from Blaine, looked at Kurt with an uncomfortable half smile on her face and patted him lamely on the shoulder. "Hello Kurt."

"How was your flight?"

"It was fine. Finn picked us all up and brought everyone home. We had dinner last night with Finn's girlfriend's parents."

"Finn?" His mother asked, nonplussed.

Blaine glanced at Kurt with a flash of "OMG FAIL" written all over his face before answering his mother, "Finn. Kurt's stepbrother Mom. Carole's son. We had Thanksgiving dinner with him last year," he said in what was obviously a carefully measured tone.

"Finn. Oh right Finn. Okay. Tall fellow wasn't he?"

"That's the one," Kurt answered.

Mrs. Andersons cell phone began ringing once again, "Blaine are you staying here tonight?"

"No. I'm staying with Kurt. I just wanted to stop by for a while."

"Okay well you two make yourselves comfortable," she said before answering her phone.

Fat chance, thought Kurt.

Blaine stole a glance over to his father to see if he was going to say anything else to him and after a long pause decided that he apparently was not. His phone vibrated and he checked the text before looking up at Kurt and smiling.

"Thad saw your dad's car in the driveway and guessed it was us. Is it cool if he and Hanna come over for a bit?" Blaine hoped Kurt would say it was okay. He knew his parents wouldn't let him leave so quickly after arriving but really, what more did he have to say to them?

Kurt immediately agreed. He was eager to be out of this living room with the Andersons.

A few minutes later and Thad knocked on the Andersons front door, standing with a tall leggy blonde girl named Hanna. Hanna had attended Daltons sister school Crawford Country Day during her high school years. She had lived down the street from Blaine since they were ten but Blaine didn't meet her until the occasional Dalton/Crawford Country Day social events the schools held.

Shortly after Blaine had come out his mother had tried to set him up with Hanna, leading to a marathon argument in the Anderson household. His mother said that Blaine was young and that he "never knew who he might meet." After his mother finally said she'd stay out of Blaine's love life Blaine had instead introduced Hanna to Thad rather than go on the date Mrs. Anderson had arranged, and the two had hit it off so well they had been dating ever since.

Kurt and Blaine welcomed the two into the house and the four grabbed sodas from the fridge and made their way to the back yard. They sat down on the luxurious patio set and got caught up on each others' lives.

"How's IU you guys?"

Hanna answered, "IU's great. I love Bloomington. Thad's concert with their choral was wonderful."

"It's a lot of fun, but I miss the formality of the Warblers."

Kurt looked down at the patio table in an effort not to roll his eyes and spotted, "Hanna! Hanna is that what I think it is?"

Hanna grinned widely, obviously pleased Kurt had noticed. She waggled her left hand and Kurt and Blaine. A large diamond sparkled from her ring finger. "He asked me the night before our graduation."

"Congratulations guys," Kurt and Blaine said in unison.

Thad beamed. "Well Blaine, you did introduce us so this is really his fault."

"That's a gorgeous ring Hanna, nice choice Thad."

"Thanks Kurt. Hey, you and Blaine have been dating almost as long as Hanna and I…when are you guys going to get engaged?"

Kurt and Blaine nearly choked on their sodas, "Blaine has three years of law school ahead of him, let's not rush anything" Kurt said quickly.

Hanna chose that moment to thankfully change the subject.

A few hours later Thad and Hanna left, which Blaine and Kurt took as their cue to go as well. Kurt drove them back towards Lima.

Blaine rested his hand on Kurt's knee. "I do want to marry you someday you know Kurt."

Kurt's breath caught in his throat. "Really?"

Blaine laughed, "You didn't know that by now?"

Kurt smiled. After a few minutes he had calmed down enough to whisper, "Me too."

**Break**

The next morning Kurt and Blaine decided to visit their old haunt, the Lima Bean for breakfast. They dropped Carole off at work so they could use her car for the rest of the day. Kurt drove them to the café, a small shop that held many memories for the couple.

"Good morning, can we please have a non-fat mocha, a medium drip and two croissants please?" Blaine asked the barista.

"Sure thing, that'll be seven fifty."

Blaine handed her the money and put a dollar in the tip jar while Kurt got them a table in the bustling shop.

The barista handed Blaine his order and he found Kurt sitting at a small table around the corner from the cashier's station. He tried to hand Kurt his coffee and croissant but Kurt wasn't paying attention, he had his head cocked to one side looking lost in thought.

Blaine put the food on the table and sat down. He waved a hand in front of Kurt.

"Kurt?"

Kurt sniffed and looked at Blaine, "Oh sorry, I was daydreaming."

"About anything in particular?"

"Mhmm. We were sitting at _this_ booth in particular the first time you told me you loved me."

Blaine smiled and took Kurt's hand, "I remember."

*****Flashback***** Cue the fuzzy screen borders. (Remember we're in a Gleeverse time/space continuum so this makes sense because….well because I said so :P)

Kurt and Blaine sat together inside the Lima Bean the morning after he returned from the 2011 Nationals.

This was the first chance Kurt had to really talk to Blaine about his trip other than quick nightly phone calls while he was away. The plane had arrived at the airport the evening before so the two had arranged to meet for breakfast. Blaine knew of course that they hadn't placed at Nationals but was eager to hear about the rest of the trip.

"Oh my god you should have seen it," Kurt said. "We all look at the top ten list for showcase and we all just went numb. And then Jessie just kept going on and on about how Rachel and Finns kiss is what cost us nationals-"

"While I understand passion I do think that was unprofessional," Blaine interjected. He raised his hand to stop himself, "Oh but sorry keep going…" he directed Kurt.

"Okay, so then we get back to the hotel and Santana loses it. She was screaming at Finn and Rachel in Spanish and Mike, Sam _and_ Quinn had to hold her back. She was in full on attack mode. It was nuts. And then on the plane ride home, it was com-pletely silent. Like, no one said a word. We all just sat there with our faces buried in our complimentary copies of sky mall." Kurt finished with a "can you believe that?" look on his face.

Blaine had watched Kurt talk excitedly about his trip with his elbow on the table, his chin resting in his hand. He was slightly jealous that Kurt had gotten the chance to compete but was more focused on how mesmerizing his boyfriend was as he recounted their journey with a glint of joy in his eye.

"Wait, I don't get it…you don't seem that sad at all…"

Kurt just shrugged and took a sip of coffee, "Well, it was still amazing, I mean I flew in a plane for the first time in my life, I had breakfast at Tiffany's (Blaine just about melted at that comment, his head leaning to one side in a clear "aww" face), I sang on a Broadway stage…"

A small smile crept over Blaine's lips and the phrase that had been on buzzing behind his lips for weeks popped into his head again and this time he let it out. The phrase that's been maturing behind his lips ever since he and Kurt started talking about college and the future and New York City.

"I love you."

He said it casually, because it wasn't some dramatic confession or some phishing trip about his and Kurt's relationship. It was just the truth, a fact about how he felt. Kurt didn't even need to say it back, Blaine just wanted him to know.

Kurt had chosen an unfortunate time to take another sip of coffee because he nearly spit on Blaine when those three words left his boyfriends beautiful mouth. His heart stopped. In all the movies he'd watched and books he read he had never understood what anyone meant when they talked about their heart skipping a beat (or three) until that very moment. He was completely caught off guard and wasn't sure at first he had even heard his boyfriend correctly, but when he looked in Blaine's eyes it told him all he needed to know.

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Kurt had never said "I love you" to anyone other than his family (apart from when he confessed his love for Finn but that wasn't like this…that wasn't real, that was a school boy crush of undeveloped feelings. He loved the _idea_ of Finn, he loved the _reality_ of Blaine). He really did love Blaine, he had fallen for Blaine on a staircase at Dalton, but what had really solidified in his mind that he _loved_ Blaine was at Prom when Blaine showed up for him on the dance floor after Dave had walked away. Blaine had been so nervous earlier in the evening, but when Kurt needed him, he showed up. Kurt had been through a lot of people not showing up when he needed them, but Blaine was different.

He opened his mouth to try again:

"I love you too," he said, breathlessly.

They exchanged gentle smiles. "You know when you stop and think about it, Kurt Hummel has had a pretty good year."

He had. Despite his dad's heart attack, the bullying, despite the prom queen prank, despite everything, Kurt _had_ had a great year. His dad was okay, he had a new step mom he adored and a true brother he could count on, he was back at McKinley and was starting to make tentative steps towards peace with Dave Karofsky, he got to go to New York and compete and see the city he knew he'd love in person, and he had fallen in love, real honest to goodness love, with a boy who loved him back.

Blaine linked his foot around Kurt's ankle under the table, his left hand, which had been resting on Kurt's knee began caressing his knee and the bottom of his thigh. Kurt opened his mouth to say more but just as he was about to he caught Sam and Mercedes standing near the cash register line behind him.

"Oh, look who's here!" he said in a slightly alarmed voice so as to get Blaine's attention.

It was Blaine's turn to nearly choke on his coffee. He turned around to face Sam and Mercedes, "Hey what are you guys doing here?" he asked.

The four exchanged pleasantries and briefly discussed summer plans before Mercedes shook them off by saying, "We'll see you in class."

Kurt _knew_ something was up about that exchange but figured he'd text Mercedes later that night to figure out what was going on. Maybe it had something to do with Sam's family situation. Or maybe…

Blaine turned back to him, "Okay so here are the nominees for best song that I might sing for my Six Flags audition and I want to know what you-"

Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand under the table. "Blaine, I want to leave."

Confused, Blaine asks, "Wha?" He lets the word hang there, unfinished.

Kurt looked at him pointedly, "Alone. Blaine I want to be alone with you. Now."

Blaine still had his "I-don't-understand" face on when he feels Kurt's fingers caressing the palm of his hand. Oh. _Oh._

"Oh!" Blaine cleared his throat and stood up hastily, nearly knocking the table over because he'd forgotten to let go of Kurt's hand. He grabbed his bag, thinking he could totally pick up sheet music for Six Flags later, and hurriedly walked out of the café with Kurt.

"Is your family home?"

"Yes. Damn them! Well, not really, but are yours?"

"No my dad is in L.A. and my mom is in France."

"Perfect. Let's go."

Blaine and Kurt scrambled into Blaine's car and Blaine drove out of the parking lot towards his house. The two kept stealing glances at each other, trying to suppress their giddiness. Blaine turned on the radio in an effort to distract from the obvious sexual tension in the car, but his plan backfired when Katy Perry's _Teenage Dream_ came blaring out of the stereo.

"Well if that's not fate I don't know what is," commented Kurt.

Blaine finally pulled in to his driveway and parked the car. He got out quickly and ran to the passenger side to open Kurt's door. Kurt practically leaped out of the car and took Blaine's hand, pulling him towards Blaine's front door.

Kurt playfully directed Blaine towards the door as Blaine fumbled with his keys. After two drops and an attempt to put them in upside down Kurt and Blaine were finally allowed entrance into the Anderson home.

Kurt immediately pulled Blaine into a tight hug, loving the warmth and solidness of his boyfriends' body. They stayed like that, clung to each other in the foyer of Blaine's home for a long moment before Kurt pulled back slightly and began attacking Blaine's mouth with kisses.

Blaine kissed back fervently, holding Kurt's hips with his hands as Kurt's hands wrapped themselves around Blaine's back. Kurt's tongue pushed into Blaine's mouth and Blaine let out a half whimper/half sigh of happiness. Kurt was pushing him backward into a wall, his eyes closed as his tongue lapped at Blaine's. Blaine could feel his sense of self control fading. He broke the kiss before he lost himself completely.

Kurt gazed at him dopily. He smiled and moved forward again to kiss Blaine but Blaine pulled back with a "wait."

Kurt was being a lot more forward than usual. As much as Blaine loved it, he didn't want Kurt to think that he only said I love you because he expected more from Kurt physically. That wasn't the case at all. The physical side of their relationship was blooming slowly. Very slowly. Kurt was just getting comfortable talking about sex and the farthest they'd gone was making out without their shirts on.

Kurt's brow furrowed at Blaine's refusal of his kiss.

"Kurt," Blaine paused, unsure of how to phrase this, "I don't expect anything….you know…more, I don't want you to feel pressured into-"

Kurt thought his heart might burst at that moment. He took a step back, took both of Blaine's hands in his and walked through the foyer into Blaine's living room and motioned for them to sit on the couch. He took off his white coat and sat down.

"I know, Blaine I know. I know you wouldn't do anything like that. That just isn't you. You're amazing Blaine. I know _you_, I love _you_." He pressed a chaste kiss to Blaine's lips.

"I love you too Kurt."

"Good. Now kiss me."

Blaine grinned and nodded. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Kurt's. The air seemed electric; Kurt could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he kissed Blaine back. This was a big moment; their relationship was entering a new phase.

Kurt wrapped his arms under Blaine's and leaned back into the couch, pulling Blaine on top of him. Blaine's hands came up to the base of Kurt's neck and he began to gingerly loosen Kurt's tie. It finally came undone and he unfurled it from Kurt's neck and placed it on the coffee table. He resettled himself into the kiss, his mouth moving slowly against Kurt's when he felt Kurt's eager tongue running against his lower lip and pressing at the crease of his mouth.

Blaine opened his mouth just enough for Kurt's tongue to dart inside, deepening their kiss. Blaine closed his eyes and focused on the sensations all around him – Kurt's chest pressed up next to his, both of their heart rates starting to climb, Kurt's hands running up and down his back, Kurt's soft lips and smooth tongue playing with his own. Blaine let out an involuntary groan.

Kurt broke the kiss; his hands had traveled down Blaine's back to the hem of his red sweater. Kurt wriggled his fingers beneath the fabric to the plaid shirt Blaine was wearing underneath.

"C-can I?" He asked.

Blaine nodded. Kurt pulled the sweater up and over Blaine's head. They embraced again, the intimacy of it feeling immensely different even though they were barely millimeters closer together.

Kurt nuzzled his nose into the crook of Blaine's neck and drank in Blaine's scent.

"Mmm, you smell so good."

Blaine wasn't prepared for Kurt pressing his tongue to Blaine's neck and licking a slow stripe up to the base of his ear and up and around the shell just a second after that declaration. He didn't know what to do with his hands and legs and most importantly his hips. Blaine could feel his erection straining against his jeans. He tried to balance himself with one hand caressing Kurt's face while the other gripped the couch, propping him up just enough so that while he kept his knees bent his chest was touching Kurt but his hips weren't. He didn't want to freak Kurt out. This was just as new for him as it was for Kurt, but as much as he wanted to go further, as ready as he felt, he couldn't be sure if Kurt was as well. He didn't want to risk it, not now. He tried to keep his thoughts coherent and dapper but it was proving more futile by the moment.

Blaine forgot all about his arms and legs when they were suddenly turned into jello as Kurt pulled Blaine's earlobe into his mouth and began to suck on it and lightly nibble against it. He lost his balance just as Kurt, who was equally lost in the moment, instinctively rolled his hips forward and the two accidentally crashed together for a split second.

Oh my god, thought Kurt as he and Blaine jerked away from each other. His eyes snapped shut and he felt himself flush with embarrassment. He just _knew_ Blaine had noticed how hard he was. Oh god, here they were in this beautiful moment and he had to go and ruin it by-

His thoughts were interrupted by Blaine, whose thumb and forefinger were on Kurt's chin, inching his face up. Kurt cautiously opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry! My hips, I didn't mean to, I just, and you and you must have felt my, oh my god and it freaked you out…" Kurt jammed his eyes shut again, mortified.

It dawned on Blaine that Kurt _hadn't _seemed to notice Blaine was just as hard as he was, if not more so.

""Hey,"

"Hey," he choked out.

"Kurt, don't apologize. I'm not freaked out."

"You aren't?"

Blaine chuckled. "No, Kurt I don't want to do anything you aren't ready for but I am just as turned on as you are."

Kurt's eyes shot open.

"You, you are?"

"Yeah."

Kurt looked skeptical.

Blaine swallowed heavily. "Want, want me to show you?"

Kurt's eyes went wide, was it possible Blaine had been telling the truth and not just trying to make him feel better? He nodded just a fraction of an inch.

Blaine took Kurt's hand and slowly guided it between them and finally to rest against his crotch. Oh. My. God. Blaine was telling the truth. He was rock hard. _Kurt_, shy little baby penguin Kurt had made him hard as a rock. Kurt was momentarily dazed, still unbelieving he was touching Blaine, even if over jeans. He had never felt someone's arousal other than his own.

"See?"

He nodded again, this time more enthusiastically. He bit his lip as he grew in confidence and chanced as light stroke to Blaine over his jeans. "Is this okay?"

Blaine growled, "More than okay. As long as you're okay I'm okay."

Kurt was okay. In fact he was fucking peachy. He moved his hand from Blaine's crotch and instead let them settle on Blaine's ass. He gave an appreciative squeeze as Blaine's lips found his again. They rolled their hips together again, this time on purpose.

Friction. Delicious, friction of jeans against jeans, jeans pulled as tight as can be by their owner's excitement. It was heady. They rocked together, their motions sloppy and untrained, but each feeling encouraged and love-drunk by the moans and breathy pants they were bringing out of the other.

Kurt had no idea this could feel so good, he didn't even know what to call what they were doing but if it made Blaine moan his name like _that_ Kurt was happy to keep doing it again and again. Before long however, both of them were suddenly thrown over the edge of orgasm. Kurt didn't even know it was about to happen until –holy crap – it was happening. It was okay though. There was no need to rush. This was a stepping stone, in so many ways.

Blaine collapsed on top of Kurt, breathing heavily. He pressed a firm kiss to Kurt's temple. They laid there in silence, just listening to each other breathe, trying to wrap their heads around what they had just done. When Kurt's breathing finally returned to normal he realized he now felt totally calm, at peace with the world and everything in it.

Eventually however Kurt began to feel something else besides at peace, he felt…sticky and kind of disgusting after having just came in his underwear and jeans.

"Blaine?"

"Yeah, Kurt?"

"Can I borrow some pants or something and do a little laundry?"

Blaine laughed, "Yeah, that's a good idea."

*****End Flashback*****

Blaine was smiling at him, that same calm dopey smiley he wore the first time, the first of hundreds, maybe thousands of times the two had shared "I love you" 's over the years.

"You know," he said, taking a last sip of coffee, "no one is home at my folks house today either."

Kurt giggled and flashed Blaine a coy smile. "Let's go."

**Break**

Days passed as the two lovers enjoyed the downtime afforded by being on summer break. Kurt, Rachel and Mercedes went shopping, they made love as quietly as they could in Kurt's old room, Blaine skyped at length with Wes for the first time in months, and they had dinner every night with Kurt's parents. Blaine knew he'd be diving into pre-law school preparation and jitters and Kurt knew he'd be launched into the hubbub of his showcase as soon as they returned to New York City so they were making every moment count towards quality friend, family, relationship and laziness time.

Friday night was a little different. Finn, Blaine and Kurt had all their friends over and they were downstairs in the living room anxiously glancing between the television and the wall clock.

"This shit is going to be insane man," stated Puck as he sipped on a beer, his hand in a bag of Doritos.

"I am so excited for them!" squealed Rachel.

"Who knew that when they packed up and drove to L.A. the day after graduation we'd be watching them do this now?" reflected Kurt.

"If I wasn't at school 3000 miles away from L.A. I would so want to be their manager…," commented Lauren who had arrived home the previous day from her junior year at American University where she was studying political science.

"But I guess being the future President is the next best thing," she finished

"Who exactly are we cheering for again?" asked Thad as he and Hanna watched the others shriek as a commercial advertizing the upcoming show played.

"Britney and Mike. They were the best dancers in New Directions. Now they're both on tour with Nicki Minaj. Tonight's going to be a taping of her live show from Vegas that was last week," Blaine answered as he and Kurt cuddled in an arm chair.

"Oh my god! It's starting!" Squealed Kurt from within Blaine's arms.

Darkness fell on the television screen. Quietly a dance beat began to play and build up in momentum. Lights darted around a stage where twelve figures dressed in neon colors stood stoically. Several moments passed before a main spotlight flashed onto Nicki Minaj. She belted out the first note of her newest single and the backup dancers sprung to life.

"I don't see Britney…or Mike…" wondered Finn aloud.

"Just wait for it…wait for it…wait – oh my god, third in on the left, that's our Brittaboo! And there! Fourth on the right behind the chick with the Mohawk, there's Mike Chang!" Kurt pointed at the screen happily.

It was amazing. The group watched in awe as Mike and Brittany propelled themselves across the stage, clapping excitedly when one or both of their old friends would wind up at the forefront of the stage or be zoomed in upon by the cameras lens.

"Work it Brittaboo!" Cried Mercedes, throwing her fist in the air as Britney easily transitioned from a perfect split to being tossed through the air by one of the other dancers.

Mike was popping and locking behind Nicki Minaj along with another male dancer, he looked like he had double jointed nearly every joint in his body.

"Do you think Tina is watching this?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know. Maybe, probably. It's a pity they broke up. She just didn't want to go to Los Angeles. Which, at least from what Mike told me he said that was okay with him, at least at first because he didn't know if either his or Britt's careers would ever take off…but when Tina tried to tell Mike he wasn't allowed to go…well that broke the camel's back." Kurt replied, sighing.

Rachel turned to Finn, who had his arm around her on the couch, "I'm glad we figured out how to chase our dreams together," she said, looking into his eyes.

He smiled at her and kissed her nose, "me too."

"I'll call her tomorrow to see how she's doing," said Mercedes thoughtfully, "Or I'll just text Quinn later and have her check up on her."

"You know, I didn't think Mike's abs could have gotten better than they were in high school but…" Dave interjected as Mike's neon green shirt fell into the audience and he back-flipped across the stage.

"Damn straight, Karofsky," agreed Lauren, high-fiving him.

"Or well…damn gay," smirked Puck good-naturedly.

Lauren clobbered him with a pillow and Dave rolled his eyes.

Their attention was pulled back to the screen however as they watched Nicki pull Britney forward and kiss her heatedly on stage.

"Was that scripted?" asked Hanna.

Rachel and Finn shared a giggle. "Yes, actually that one was."

*****Look for Part Two to this chapter Coming Soon! *****

**A/N: Thanks for reading this far chapter 3, part 1ers! Love or Hate please Review! This story is really coming together for me (you should see my excel spread sheets) but I'm totally open to feedback and suggestions so please keep em coming. ALSO-I had TOTALLY planned and written Klaine flashback smut before watching last night's finale, but after seeing it I just *had* to work it in. Sorry for the excessive amounts of cheese, but what can I say, tonight I was just in the mood for gouda. **

**The next chapter will cover Blaine, Kurt and Dave's trip to the McKinley GSA, as well as coffee with Mr. Schuester and..guests. That is in addition to Furt moments, as well as more interaction with the Hudmels. Aaaand, maybe (if you're good!) some car sex? Maybe. **

**Random Authors Note: Glee may be fine having so many plot holes that if they were pot holes you could lose your car in them, but me…not so much. In "The Lazy Song" I mentioned Dave K. would be playing Ice Hockey in the Gay Games during the upcoming summer of the story, 2015. I had done some research on the Gay Games (I'm queer) but obv not enough because the Gay Games are currently only played every four years and the last game was played in 2010…meaning the next games will be in 2014. WELL we will FIX this by saying that in this story the 2014 Gay Games were **_**so**_** popular that they decided to break with tradition and hold the games every year rather than every four. Capiche? Good. **

**Lastly, I am in the market for a beta. When I joined the site I didn't even know what a beta was, and after reading some of my earlier work I realize – I could really use one. So if there are any advice givers or volunteers…esp people who bothered to read this far, let me know!**


	4. Chapter 3, Part 2

**Wow do I have some loyal readers – many of you have reviewed two or three times and I have to say Thank You SO Much. That's really wonderful and I'm glad you're enjoying the story (next time bring a friend haha). You all make me smile so much!**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE! They're also the only way for me to know what ya'll think…so if you feel so compelled please click the old review button – even if it's only to tell me you think the chapter was yay, meh or nay. **

**Oh, and tjangel there **_**will**_** be a big ND reunion happening in… (Looks at storyboard)… November. It's only the beginning of June now but there won't be a chapter for every month so hold on to your hat b/c it's coming. So if there is a character you've been wondering about (Sam? Artie?) Don't worry they haven't been forgotten about. The story **_**is**_** heavy Klaine but if they didn't have outside friends/interests they'd be hella annoying.**

**Enough of this, on with the Klaine –OH, and this chapter has mild kink in it, just fyi:**

"That's awesome man, I'm really happy for you. I hope it works out," Blaine said, wandering around Kurt's living room.

"Mhmm. I'll tell Kurt when he gets back; he's out with Finn right now helping him because he's trying to cook for Rachel tonight."

"Where are you guys going?"

"Oh that's an excellent idea. I'm sure she'll love it."

Blaine heard the garage door go up, "Oh hey I think they're home. I'll talk to you later. Let me know how it goes. *laughs* No I will not tell you whatever she tells Kurt…nice try though. Bye." Blaine hung up his cell phone just as the door opened and Kurt and Finn walked in, carrying several grocery bags.

"Do you guys need any help carrying the rest in?"

Finn sets his bags down on the kitchen countertop, "Nah, this is it, thanks though."

Blaine looked at the spread of ingredients Kurt was putting onto the countertop. "What are you making?"

"Black bean burgers," answered Finn proudly.

Blaine cocked his head to the side, surprised.

"Finding a vegan dish to suit both Rachel and Finns pallets has been one of my finer culinary moments," quipped Kurt, fishing out a detailed set of instructions for Finn to follow from his messenger bag.

He pushed the sheet of paper into Finns hand. "Now don't forget, make the cake first, then the sweet potato fries, then the burgers. That way everything will be done at the same time."

"Kurt! Come on dude, don't leave me!" Begged Finn, looking anxiously down at the paper.

"Finn. Please don't call me 'dude,' and you'll be fine. We went through this a hundred times at the store. Call me or your mom if you get in any trouble. Mom and Dad will be out until like 11:30 so if you guys aren't…um, finished, by then, remember to keep it down."

Finn raised an eyebrow at Kurt, "_Us_ keep it down? Like you two did last night?"

Kurt nearly dropped the tomatoes he was holding right on the floor, "ohmygod."

Blaine blushed himself but kept quiet, after all Kurt was the screamer in their relationship, not him.

Kurt turned his head to glare daggers at Blaine "_Your Fault_" he mouthed.

Blaine glanced over at Finn who had started pooling ingredients for vegan chocolate cake onto the counter top with a highly concentrated look on his face before leaning into Kurt and whispering "what, you didn't like it? It _sounded_ like you liked it…" just loud enough for it to be audible to Kurt alone.

Kurt gasped, unable to answer Blaine because his breath was caught in his throat.

"Would you rather I stopped?" Blaine teased; breathing hot air against Kurt's earlobe.

Kurt's eyes went wide before he began emphatically shaking his head.

"That's what I thought, my naughty boy," Blaine whispered against Kurt's ear.

Kurt shivered, secretly (well secret to everyone except one Blaine Anderson) _loving_ when Blaine called him that. Right now however, in the middle of his parents kitchen with his step-brother in the room was not an ideal place to have images of Blaine yanking down his underwear popping into his head.

Kurt cleared his throat, but was unable to make more than a high pitched squeak come out.

Blaine loved watching Kurt struggle not to come undone, he grabbed Kurt's hand and was half way out the door by the time Finn looked up to ask "where are you going?"

They ignored him. Kurt didn't really know where he and Blaine were going, just that they needed to be alone, right-this-second. But, what to do? Finn was cooking at the house; Blaine's parents were entertaining neighbors at his house, where could they go?

Blaine had an answer for this as he jingled the keys to the car he had rented a few days before. Borrowing Carole or Burt's cars had gotten too complicated so he talked his parents in to renting him a car for the week since he was still too young (stupid 25 law) to do so himself.

"Blaine!" Kurt hissed as his boyfriend led him to the car, "You cannot just say things like that to me when we have nowhere to go!"

"Hush you."

Kurt stuck his tongue out in protest to that. "Don't you tell me to h-"

He was cut off by Blaine's quick kiss and then Blaine opened the passenger side door and gently nudged Kurt's shoulders to get him to get in the car.

"Don't you fret, I've got it all worked out," Blaine said once he was seated in the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?" asked Kurt once Blaine had turned out of his development and took the nearest highway out of town.

"You'll see," Blaine said mysteriously.

Kurt tried to be patient as Blaine continued on the highway and onto the countryside.

"How long will it take to get there?"

"Long enough."

"You're entirely unhelpful."

"Thank you darling, I try."

Kurt again tried to remain patient but his thoughts kept flitting back to Blaine teasing him in the kitchen. Well if Blaine could tease Kurt, Kurt could torture Blaine…

"Don't pout like that; I can't concentrate on driving when your lips look like that."

"Kurt! That's not any better."

"Oh my god Kurt you are trying to kill us!"

"Do you really want me to have to explain to the police that I got into an accident because you couldn't keep your damn fingers out of your mouth?"

"Kurt that is positively obscene," Blaine growled.

He looked around at the deserted stretch of Highway he was now cruising down. This was probably desolate enough. He slowed the car and abruptly pulled off the highway and into the woods. He parked the car in a heavily wooded area.

"Here? You want to have sex, _here_?" Kurt asked, looking around at the trees. "I'm not really an …outdoor person Blaine."

"I know. Why do you think I rented a car with such a large back seat?" Blaine waggled his triangle shaped eyebrows suggestively.

Kurt's breath hitched in his throat. He tried to retain his composure, "But, but all the _other_ people who've…_been_ here…"

Blaine looked at him with his best "Bitch Please" impression. "Do you think I don't know you at all? I brought a blanket of course."

Kurt was momentarily touched by his boyfriend's thoughtfulness but that was quickly replaced with lust as his boyfriend actually touched him, wrapping his hand around the back of Kurt's neck and pulling him into a kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Kurt. Can we get in the backseat now?"

"Let's go."

Blaine got out of the car and pulled a soft looking blanket from the trunk and laid it down carefully in the backseat, tucking the corners into the seat so it wouldn't shift around as they moved. Giggling, they kicked off their shoes and climbed in the backseat.

"We haven't fooled around in a car in…."

"Years?"

"Yeah, not since I sold mine the summer before my freshman year at FIT."

"Well babe I think we're way over due."

"Agreed. Kiss?"

Blaine pressed his nose to Kurt's. "Kiss," he agreed.

Blaine changed the angle of his face slightly to kiss Kurt's lips properly. It was slightly, okay, more than slightly, awkward, trying to make out in the backseat of a car after years of having a bed and couch to sprawl out upon. Both young men were in sitting positions with just the upper halves of their bodies facing each other.

They kissed between giggles, remembering the early days of their relationship, making out in either ones car because they ("They" meaning Kurt for the first week or so of their relationship) were too embarrassed at first to try it out in their homes. Eventually Kurt grew slightly desperate from Blaine's soft delicate kisses and ran his tongue against Blaine's lower lip before pulling the lip into his mouth and sucking on it.

Blaine responded by putting his hands on Kurt's hips and, after a few awkward shuffles rearranged them into a half lying down position, Kurt lying on his back with his knees bent up, his toes pointing towards the back drivers side door and Blaine nestled between Kurt's legs, his knees bent so the heels of his feet grazed the ceiling of the car.

The tight confines of the car restricted their movements but neither minded. Blaine moaned against Kurt's neck as Kurt's elegant fingers tied themselves in the curls of Blaine's dark hair. Blaine began unbuttoning Kurt's Carolina Blue dress shirt, pressing a hard kiss and light nibble against every new inch of exposed skin. He wrenched the shirt off Kurt, who took the opportunity to pull Blaine's t-shirt up and over his head as well.

Kurt gasped as Blaine's tongue swirled around his nipple and he ran his hand into Blaine's hair again, his other hand running up and down Blaine's side. He gave a thick lock of Blaine's hair a light tug.

"_Fuck_," moaned Blaine against Kurt's nipple. Kurt tugged again, not hard enough to hurt but hard enough for the nerve endings on Blaine's scalp to go a little wild.

Blaine swore again, his cock hardening further as Kurt played with and tugged at his hair. Blaine shifted upward so his mouth was against Kurt's ear. He licked a line behind the lobe through the hairline of Kurt's scalp. He chuckled darkly as Kurt's breath began to come out in ragged little pants.

"You like pulling my hair?" Blaine inquired, trying and failing to sound stern.

Kurt gave Blaine's hair another light yank.

"That's not very nice is it?" Blaine asked, smirking, trying to keep it together. Who knew his scalp would be such an erotic area?

Kurt shook his head but was only able to answer in a weak, "rmphf".

What a naughty boy," Blaine chastised, "_someone _is just begging to be spanked once we get a little more room hmm?"

Kurt's back arched upwards at Blaine's words and he let out a breathy moan. Kurt's free hand slid down between Blaine's legs to his crotch to palm roughly at Blaine's erection. He ground his hand against the fabric of Blaine's jeans as he continued to yank at Blaine's hair.

Blaine was losing his grip on his stern demeanor and settled on shifting upward so he could untie and unbutton Kurt's Perry Ellis Paisley Linen Drawstring trousers. He tugged them down Kurt's hips and with some intra-car gymnastics managed to get both them and the pale pink boxer briefs Kurt was wearing down and off his legs.

Kurt laid underneath him fully nude now. "No fair," he pouted, fingers already winding around Blaine's belt buckle.

Blaine shifted up to give Kurt better access to unbutton his jeans as he reached into the center console to pull out a condom and a tiny bottle of lube. He tore open the condom and rolled it onto himself. Kurt had only managed to get his jeans and boxers barely passed Blaine's ass but he was really not focused on that right now.

He was more focused on the curve of Kurt's neck as he squirmed in anticipation as Blaine slicked his fingers and cock up with a generous amount of lube. Kurt lifted his hips off the seat of the car slightly as Blaine's hand wrapped around Kurt's cock and rubbed him up and down.

Blaine pumped Kurt until he was leaking pre-cum and swearing loudly in French before teasing his fingers back towards Kurt's entrance.

Blaine swirled his finger around the pucker of Kurt's entrance, eliciting a highly frustrated whine from Kurt's swollen lips.

"Blaine…Blaine…" Kurt whined, pushing his hips down trying to get Blaine's finger inside him.

"That's for pulling my hair," Blaine explained, finally pushing a finger into Kurt's tight heat.

Blaine waited for Kurt's slight wince to go away before pulling his finger out and adding a second followed by a third, stretching the tight ring of muscle so it could take him.

"Blaine, _Blaine please_," Kurt whimpered. Kurt was fully prepped now but Blaine was playing with him, stroking his fingers delicately against Kurt's prostate.

Blaine gave the sensitized area another stroke before pulling his fingers out and lining himself up at Kurt's entrance. He leaned forward to kiss Kurt's forehead.

Kurt whined again, "please…"

"I know baby, I know." Blaine pushed himself into Kurt, his arousal surrounded instantly by the familiar but still fucking amazing sensations of being fully joined with his boyfriend.

Due to the confines of the car, and the fact that Blaine kept hitting his head against the car's ceiling when he tried, Blaine couldn't fully pull out as he thrust into Kurt. He settled on snapping his hips back and forth, which worked just fine. Kurt settled his hands on Blaine's ass and dragged his nails against the curve of his butt as Blaine pushed roughly into Kurt.

"Ungh, Kurt you feel _so damn good_."

Kurt looked at him with half lidded eyes, his chest heaving, "you…you…ohgodrightthere…you do too."

Kurt let out a strangled little scream as Blaine snapped back and forth harder and harder into him.

"That's it baby, let it out," Blaine growled.

Without elderly neighbors, parents or step brothers Kurt let himself be as loud as he wanted to be, though his words were mostly monosyllabic little nonsense's.

Loud little nonsense's that were driving Blaine insane with passion. Blaine felt tension building in his belly. "Fuck Kurt, I'm close."

Kurt cried out Blaine's name and tensed all around Blaine, "Ungh, I'm c-c-coming!" Kurt shook with orgasm and this pushed Blaine over the edge as well.

They tried for an awkward post sex cuddle but it proved kind of impossible so after a few moments to let their breathing calm down Blaine reached under the seat and pulled out a little box of tissues and a plastic bag. He pulled out of Kurt, tied off the condom and cleaned up Kurt's cum strewn belly.

"You really did think of everything," Kurt observed.

"Learned from you doll."

Kurt climbed naked over the seat (with Blaine taking advantage of the lovely position to deliver a sharp smack to Kurt's rounded ass) and into the passenger seat so he could pull on his underwear and clothes as they had ended up on the seat and the dash.

Blaine's pants had never fully come off so he just had to pull his boxers and jeans back up and yank his t-shirt, which had ended up precariously perched half in/half out of a cup holder, back on.

Once they were both fully dressed and back in the front seats of the car, Kurt flipped the over head mirror open, "Why do you always have to destroy my hair?" he asked.

"Me? _Me_ destroy _your _hair?" Blaine said in a mock accusatory tone, "Look at _my_ hair Sir Yanks A lot."

Kurt snorted, "Sir Yanks A Lot? Honey that's bad even for you, and don't give me that, you _love_ it when I pull your hair."

"And you love the palm of my hand on your ass. Don't forget about what I said earlier…."

Kurt shivered, "I haven't," he muttered quietly.

Blaine stole a glance at the back seat, wondering about a possible encore but at that moment both his and Kurt's stomach growled loudly. "Dinner?"

"Yes please. Where do you wanna go?"

"Breadstix."

"Oh my gaga I am so glad we don't live here full time so I can have decent food at more than one restaurant."

"Yeah but you love Breadstix."

"Only because of all the high school memories I have associated with those silly booths."

Blaine stole a tender glance at Kurt before returning his focus to driving the car back into town.

"Oh hey, have you talked to Quinn lately?"

"I texted her to find out how Tina was the night of Britney and Mike's show. She said she talked to Tina and Tina's actually doing really well about it now. It has been three years and everything, but since she's barely dated since then the concern…lingers."

"Oh, well I'm glad Tina is alright but what I was wondering about is if Quinn mentioned that Kevin asked her out?"

Kurt let out a little squeal of happiness and clapped his hands, "No. No she did not. I _knew_ I should have called rather than texted."

"Well he did, they're actually on their date right now."

"Oh that is so exciting. I'll have to call her tomorrow to find out how it went. I'm so glad for them, Kev is such a nice guy and Quinn deserves a little non crazy happiness. That chick her ex cheated with? Miss Ohio."

"Miss Ohio! Sheesh that is a low blow."

"That's what I thought too," Kurt agreed.

"Well Kev is totally not like that at all, other than you he's like the sweetest guy I know."

Kurt took Blaine's hand as he flushed with happiness. "Good for her."

***BREAK***

Kurt and Blaine waited in the living room, absently watching their favorite design show, for Dave to arrive to take them all to McKinely to talk to the schools GSA. A few minutes passed 3:30 and they heard the horn to Dave's SUV calling to them from the driveway. Kurt grabbed his messenger bag and hurried outside with Blaine and into Dave's car.

David Karofsky was a changed man from the closeted jock bully who had terrorized Kurt for over a year. The transformation had begun with the epic "beard" debacle, but after what happened at Kurt's Junior Prom in addition to their conversations during the BullyWhips walks to class Kurt and Dave had kneaded their relationship from one of mutual terror of the other to Kurt's role of mentor to Dave, to friend and support network once Dave had finally come out during their senior year. The Dave Kurt knew now was a funny, athletic, and surprisingly warm hearted person. Kurt was proud of Dave for agreeing to talk to the GSA even though there was a chance Azimio would be there.

Azimio Adams, Dave's former best friend, had not taken the news well once Dave had come out. He was first and foremost convinced that Dave had "turned" gay after hanging out with Kurt, Blaine and Santana and Britney (both of whom had also come out during senior year) too much and decided he needed to completely terminate his relationship with Dave lest he be "infested" as well. His reaction wasn't exactly surprising to Dave, but it saddened him. Azimio wouldn't talk to him about it, and while Azimio's fear of being "infected" with the gay seemed to lessen after the first few weeks after Dave came out he instead repeatedly told Dave he was going to hell and that he was gross. Dave and Azimio had been friends since they were in the second grade, but their relationship never repaired.

The rest of the football team was more accepting, especially since half the teams starters were also in Glee Club and had Kurt's encouragement to befriend and support Dave. Mr. and Mrs. Karofsky were completely caught off guard when Dave sat them down one Saturday morning and told them he was gay, but after letting him talk about everything he had been going through over the past two years they hugged their son with tears in their eyes and said they'd always support him.

Dave had been afraid coming out would hurt his chances of a football scholarship but OSU assured him that he was welcome and safe at their school. He met his current boyfriend sophomore year at a football game versus Purdue. Liam was a cheerleader for Purdue and hadn't he been stunned to run into the cute football player on the opposing team he had been ogling all four quarters at the local gay bar (surrounded by a flock of tittering female cheerleaders from OSU) after the game. Liam had walked right up to him, offered to buy him a beer and the two had hit it off from there.

Kurt rode in the front seat of Dave's SUV while Blaine rode in the back.

"When's Liam coming again?"

"Tomorrow. His train gets in at 12:30. I talked to him and he suggested we all go play pool on Thursday evening."

"That sounds fun, we're free then I think," answered Blaine.

Kurt wasn't really sure how he felt about pool but thinking about all the sexy/cheesy "teach me how to play pool please" scenes he had watched in movies over the years gave him the idea that it might not be _so _bad.

"I talked to Britney yesterday," said Kurt, "She said we could talk about her coming out experience if someone wanted to know about a girl or someone who's bi."

"Oh, good. I'm glad she was okay with it. I was kinda wondering about that since all three of us are gay men," replied Blaine.

"Well we're the ones available, so we'll have to do," said Dave, walking in step with the others as they made their way inside.

They signed in at the office and waved to Principal Figgins through his glass doors. Abby, the student who ran the GSA had told them the club would be meeting in an English classroom, room 223 so the three shuffled down the hallway and up the stairs to their destination.

"Boys!" A clear sing-song-y voice broke out through the din of teenage voices and all three turned around.

Mrs. Schuester, or as she was more commonly known in the halls of McKinley even now, Miss Pillsbury crossed the distance between them and gave each boy a light hug. She had come light years in terms of dealing with her OCD, though her fashion sense remained immutably hers.

"Hi Emma!" chirped Kurt happily. "I was hoping we'd get to see you, I know the club advisors don't always get to make it every week."

"I wouldn't miss seeing you three. My, how you three boys have grown up – you're all young men now."

"Well, we're not the only one who's growing," Dave said.

Kurt shot him a "what are you thinking" look but Emma just smiled and patted her full belly, "I know. Only four more weeks to go. This little guy is ready to come out, and I'm just about ready to let him."

Blaine looked around, "Where's will?"

"Oh he's off picking up Tabitha from daycare. Can you believe she'll be one in two months?"

"The pictures you sent me were darling," Kurt answered.

Kurt had kept in touch with Will and Emma after his high school graduation, sending Emma photos of sketches and clothing he had designed. He also knew that Will and Emma were having their children so close together because it wasn't recommended for Emma to take her OCD medication while being pregnant so they decided to do pregnancy all in one big shot, so he was glad to see she seemed relatively relaxed. Emma had sent him an email a couple months back letting him know they'd found out they were expecting a boy. He had mailed her a baby blanket he had sewn by hand, just as he had done when Tabitha was born the year previous.

Emma glanced at the clock, "Well it's just about time, and the kids will be here soon so why don't we go in?"

The three young men followed her into the classroom where healthy snacks were set up and the desks were arranged in the form of a circle – a hallmark of Emma's college Women's Studies class days.

Kurt, Blaine and Dave waited with Emma by the front of the classroom as kids began to drift in and sit down, chattering away with each other.

A few moments later a dark haired girl of about 16 walked in the room. She had a round Irish face and was pleasantly plump with a slightly Rachel Berry esque excited/professional demeanor. She walked up to Emma and the boys.

"Hi! I'm Abby, the president of the McKinley GSA, we're thrilled to have our founders with us today."

The three introduced themselves. Abby told them she'd introduce who they were to the club and then they could sit wherever they'd like. Each boy was then welcome to share a bit about their high school experience and what their lives were like today. Afterword a free flow discussion would commence and the boys should be prepared for questions, though they could refrain from anything they were uncomfortable sharing.

The bell rang for 4pm and Abby raised her hand to quiet down the other members of the club.

"Hi guys. Welcome to GSA. Today we have three very special guests joining us." She indicated the three obviously not high school anymore (although Kurt may have passed as junior if he were dressed differently) men. "This is Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson and David Karofsky. Kurt and Dave went to high school here and founded the GSA. Blaine went to private school in Westerville but helped out a lot with the club when it was first beginning. Well gentleman, I'll let you have the floor."

Kurt started at her. He had been hoping for slightly more direction, but as Blaine and Dave looked at him he knew he had drawn the first go.

So they talked. A little hesitant at first because there was a lot to share between the three of them, but they eventually fell into an easy rhythm. Kurt talked about coming out in his sophomore year, the bullying, the slushies, joining glee club, he had them all laughing at his quick wit while cringing as he described getting harassed on a daily basis. Dave cut in to shock the club members by saying he was the main bully of Kurt before he launched into his own coming out process, the kiss, the prom debacle, coming out senior year, and losing his best friend but gaining a lot more true friends.

Kurt then described his transfer to Dalton, meeting Blaine, and coming back to McKinley, his own version of what happened at junior Prom and forming a bond with Dave. Kurt gave Blaine a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder and Blaine spoke about his own coming out experience at home, getting beaten up at the Sadie Hawkins dance, transferring to Dalton, meeting Kurt, and helping out with the GSA here as much as he could before he went off to college.

The three then shared a little bit about where their lives were headed and how their college experiences had been. Everyone in class awed when Kurt and Blaine talked happily about living in New York City now together, helping each other achieve their dreams. Dave spoke about being out in sports, as well as his fraternity. The kids listened with rapt attention and as soon as Dave finished and the three looked at each other to wonder what was next a boy with bright blue hair raised his hand.

"Zak?" Abby nodded toward him to signal he was free to talk.

The boy, who looked around 17 cleared his throat before looking at Kurt and Blaine, "are you guys still together?"

Kurt and Blaine laughed, "Yes, yes we are."

"Damn."

The class erupted in giggles and both Kurt and Blaine blushed, neither thinking the "damn" was directed at them.

Once the giggling subsided, they were on a roll. The kids asked about New York City, and being out in their families, about standing up to bullying, about prom outfits and dating procedures…the conversation plowed forward until the bell rang again signaling the end of the meeting.

"Well guys, let's thank Kurt, Blaine and Dave for coming," said Emma. The class clapped appreciatively. Abby and Emma thanked them once again for coming and the kids started to file out of the room two or three at a time. The three young men were about to leave as well when Kurt noticed that three kids had hung back with nervous expressions.

Kurt, Blaine and Dave looked at each other, shared a nod and then each went to talk to one of the kids.

***BREAK***

Kurt crossed the room towards a skinny boy with long shaggy brown hair who looked about seventeen. "Hi."

The kid looked up at him nervously, "Hi um…, I was wondering if I could um…" he trailed off, biting his lip.

"Did you want to talk in private for a minute?"

The kid nodded. Kurt motioned for the boy to lead him out of the room. They walked into an empty hallway.

"What's your name?"

"Um…my name is K-Kyle…but, but could you call me Kei?"

"Sure Kei," Kurt looked at the boy with eyes full of concern, what was going on with this kid.

"So Kei…did you want to talk to me about something?"

Kei fidgeted with the hem of his shirt…"Y-yeah."

Kurt waited patiently for a few minutes while Kei stood there, looking as if words were on the tip of his tongue but something was keeping them from coming out.

"I'm….nobody knows, but I'm…I'm Trans. Transgender I mean. I'm a girl."

Kei seemed to shrink back into the lockers, looking at Kurt as though expecting him to shout "no you're a boy!" When that didn't happen he relaxed a fraction and Kurt offered an encouraging smile.

"I'm scared."

"Nobody else is out as Trans here are they?" Kurt said, already knowing the answer and remembering the sinking feelings of being the only "out" kid for a long time. He could barely imagine being out if he was trans. The prejudice gay people face is intense, but trans stuff, from what he'd heard and witnessed, reached vocal levels of cruelty at an alarming rate.

"No."

"I was the first openly gay kid at McKinley. It was scary. Have you talked to your parents about this?"

"No! No, no I can't. I'm not ready."Kei was shaking.

"Okay, okay, it's okay to not be ready. There's no "right" way to go about it, and there's a lot of issues unique to trans people and I know that the LGB community doesn't always get that."

"I just…I don't have anybody like me to talk to…I know that people like you and Miss Pillsbury and Abby even would be understanding…but I wish I could talk to someone else who is trans."

Kurt thought for a moment, "You know Kei, I might just have a suggestion for you. One of my closest friends from college, Gil, is transgender as well. I told her we were doing this and she said that one great resource for people who are thinking about coming out, or really just struggling with gender identity is this website. I'm pretty sure the name of it is Laura's Playground. Yeah, yeah, Laura's Playground. From what she told me they have all sorts of information, resources and discussions. That might be a good first step since there isn't an LGBT resource center or any trans specific organizations around here."

"Laura's Playground? That sounds like a kiddie porn site." This kid had spunk.

Kurt laughed, "Yeah it kind of does, but I'm sure of it, she said it's , all one word."

"I'll check it out. Please don't tell anyone what I told you Kurt."

"I won't Kei. That information is special; you get to control if and when you come out. When you are ready though, I do think Miss Pillsbury will be supportive, just like you said. That and the kids from GSA, and, do you know anyone from Glee Club?"

"I'm _in_ Glee Club," Kei said proudly.

"Fabulous, so was I. Well Glee Club is about finding and expressing your joy, so whatever you need to do to express that in your own life, that's what you should do."

"Okay, thanks Kurt."

"Anytime Kei. I'll email Miss Pillsbury with any more information or resources I can get from Gil, if that's alright with you?"

"That would be great."

***BREAK***

Blaine and his charge stayed inside the classroom. A tiny girl, maybe 4 foot 10 if she stood on her tiptoes, with pin straight brown hair and a backwards baseball cap chewed on her lip as she eyed Blaine with her arms wrapped protectively around her.

"Your parents don't sound like Kurt and Dave's," she stated bluntly.

It was difficult for Blaine to talk about his parents and his sexuality, even now, but this is what he'd signed up for so he squared his shoulders.

"They, they've had a difficult time with it, yeah."

"Mine keep telling me I'm faking."

"Faking? They think you're pretending to be gay?"

"I'm not gay. I'm bi. They don't believe me. Did your parents ever do that?"

"Kind of. My mom tried to set me up with a girl right after I came out….but they're…better about it now. I've been with Kurt for over four years so they kind of have to be."

"How did they get better? Did you stand up to them?"

Blaine shifted uncomfortably, "not as much as I wish I had. Kurt is actually much better at standing up to adults than I was."

"They called me a slut. I've never been with anyone." The girl looked down at her shoes.

"That's terrible. They shouldn't have said that. When did you come out?"

"A couple months ago. I thought they'd understand, they're pretty liberal…" The girl spat out bitterly.

"Our friend Britney had a similar experience with her parents."

"She did?" The

"Yeah. She came out, and well, she tends to believe in a lot of farfetched things…so when she told her parents they didn't take her seriously."

"It sucks."

"It gets better. Your parents may change, or they might not, but family is more than blood. Family can be your best friends, the people who choose you and who you choose to surround yourself."

"What happened to your friend?"

"Britney? Her parents…well they've got a lot of work to do. But she's doing great. She's living in L.A., pursuing her dream to be a dancer. She left Lima right after high school with a friend from Glee Club and they've been having the time of their lives ever since. I watched her and Mike perform with Nicki Minaj on TV Friday night."

The girl finally broke out into a smile, "Awesome. I'm going to be a famous author one day. No one's going to stop me."

Blaine patted her shoulder, "What's your name? I'll have to remember it so I can buy your book some day."

"My name is Zoe Clark."

"Well it's been a pleasure to meet you Ms. Zoe Clark."

"Thanks Blaine."

***BREAK***

Kurt and Blaine texted each other to find out where the other was after Kei and Zoe left. It had been an exhausting, but totally worth it afternoon for them both.

"How'd it go?"

"Okay," answered Kurt, "but I felt kind of uninformed. I hope I was helpful."

"I'm sure you were," assured Blaine, "my kid is a right little spitfire. I didn't come out very eloquent though."

"I saw her smiling when she left, so I think you were just fine."

"Really? Good. I think they just wanted an adult to talk to."

"Us? Adults? That's scary, but I agree."

They stood silently next to each other leaning against a bank of lockers for a few minutes.

"Where's Dave? I thought he'd be back by now," Blaine asked.

"Hmm. I'll text him."

A few moments later Kurt's phone buzzed. "He says he'll be right here in a minute."

Dave turned up a few minutes later looking dumbstruck.

"Dave? What happened?"

Dave ran his hand over his scalp, "That kid I went to talk to? His name is Jerome Adams."

Blaine looked confused but Kurt clapped his hand over his mouth dramatically, "Adams? Not…" he breathed through his fingers.

"One in the same. Azimio's his cousin."

"The poor thing," said Blaine.

Dave nodded. "I don't wanna break his confidences or anything, but he lives with Azimio's family because of some custody issues, and he *just* came out, and, well it isn't going well. He knew I knew Azimio from before, that's why he wanted to talk to me. Azimio's just basically ignoring him now, even though they live in the same house and are both here."

"Jeez. How are the parents?"

"Not as good as Azimio," Dave said darkly.

"Shit."

"He's talking a lot to Miss Pillsbury I guess, and I think he's good friends with that girl you went off with Blaine. It probably doesn't help that he's one of only like 8 black kids at this school though."

"It was weird, talking to him," Dave continued. "Made me feel like I was in high school right after coming out all over again. I felt kind of helpless. I gave him the number to that Trevor hotline thing just in case…"

"Blaine and I were also at a bit of a loss for words with the kids we talked to. They're all so brave," Kurt commented.

"They shouldn't have to be brave," said Blaine.

"Yeah, but welcome to Lima. I'm glad they have the GSA though. It sounds like they're doing really good stuff." Dave said as they walked across the parking lot.

"I know! Do you remember all the stuff they said they do every year? National Coming Out Day, AIDS Day, Day of Silence, fundraisers, political stuff…." said Kurt, ticking off different events on his fingers.

"Awesome," smiled Blaine, climbing into Dave's truck.

"I'm glad you strong armed me into founding the club with you Kurt," Dave said, his eyes crinkling with warmth.

"Me too Dave."

***BREAK***

Dave dropped them off at Kurt's house and Blaine left soon after in the rental car to run to his parents to sign some forms about his health insurance and law school. Kurt took a minute to sit down on the couch in the empty house to process the visit this afternoon. He was really glad he had gone, and really proud of how far he, Blaine and Dave had come, but his heart went out to all those kids who were still struggling. He remembered Gil telling him about how she had tried to kill herself twice when she was in high school; Kurt hoped things would be different for Kei. God and what about that Jerome kid stuck with Azimio's family? At that moment Kurt felt extremely grateful to have Burt Hummel for a father.

The rumbling of the garage door pulled Kurt out of his thoughts. He heard his dad walk into the kitchen and open the fridge.

He got up off the couch and walked the short distance into the kitchen. His dad stood there with a bottle of water in his hand and the newspaper in the other.

"Hey Kurt."

Kurt pulled his dad into a tight hug. Burt was caught off guard but returned the hug as much as he could with his hands full.

"Everything okay Kurt?" his dad asked tentatively. Burt glanced around for Blaine and his brow furrowed when he didn't find them.

Kurt blinked back his tears, "Everything's great dad. I just, I love you, okay?"

Burt remained looking puzzled but replied, "I love you too Kid. I don't have to go kill Blaine do I?"

Kurt let out a watery laugh, "No…no nothing like that. I'm just glad you're my dad."

Burt smiled at him and let Kurt take a breath before Kurt launched in to what he was planning on cooking for everyone for dinner tonight since Carole had to work.

***BREAK***

On Friday morning, Kurt and Blaine were awoken by Finn pounding on the bedroom door.

"Guys!"

Kurt groaned, keeping his eyes tightly shut.

"Guys!"

Blaine opened one eye a fraction of an inch to glance at the clock. 6:12 AM. Too early to be up on their vacation.

"Guys!"

"Finn! Go away!" cried Kurt.

"Guys! Let me in, you're going to want to hear this. Guys!"

"Gentlemen, I do believe Finn's right, please let the future lead to Spring Awakening in!" called a peppy voice from behind the door.

Kurt's eyes flew open. "Rachel? Oh my god Rachel! Hold on a second, hold on, Blaine where is my underwear? Hold on a second, Finn don't make that noise, that's what you get for banging on our door first thing – no Blaine those are yours sleepy head, just a minute, one sec-"

Kurt wrenched open the door and the effervescent Rachel Berry bounded into his room and jumped on his bed, beaming at Kurt who was now wearing a pair of silk pajamas and Blaine who had gym shorts on and a t-shirt.

Rachel just squealed at them before tackling Kurt. "Oh my god Kurt I couldn't wait to tell you! I just got the call this morning saying I got cast in the falls run of Spring Awakening! I am so excited. I'm leaving in a couple hours!"

"Leaving?" asked Finn, looking startled, "But you're not supposed to leave until Sunday with Kurt and Blaine and Mercedes…?"

"They want me there this afternoon to go over some ideas! I can't believe it. Kurt I can't help but remember that time you broke in to the Gershwin Theatre so we could sing 'For Good'…that was amazing and this is the real deal!"

"Congratulations Rachel! That is amazing. You're going to be outstanding. If fashion wasn't my true calling I'd be right along there with you. Oh my god, we get to see you perform ON Broadway this fall!"

"What about school Rachel?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah…what about school?" Finn concurred.

"Oh I'll take a semester off or something or go part time. Who cares? Rachel Berry is officially a Broadway star! Finn come help me pack. You need to take me to the airport by noon!"

Rachel abruptly kissed Kurt and then Blaine right on the mouth before shrieking once more and bouncing out of the room, pulling Finn behind her.

"Wow, Broadway, Rachel's dream is coming true," observed Kurt, "But I couldn't help but notice how…I don't know…apprehensive Finn looked about the whole thing."

"Finn and Rachel have broken up, what, like fifteen times by now? Yet they always come back to each other…they'll figure it out."

"I know. I think it's just because Finn doesn't know what _he's_ going to do in New York after graduation. Can't play football at OSU forever. He's majoring in communications, but I'm pretty sure he has no idea what he wants to do with it," Kurt said with a frown. He hoped his brother and Rachel would indeed be able to make it through this newest transition. He gave himself a little shake, Finn and Rachel would have to navigate this on their own, just like all the other times.

"You're concerned about both of them, I get it. I am too. Hopefully when Rachel comes off her high she can talk to Finn about the next step," Blaine offered.

"Comes down off her high? Well, I suppose they'll be talking about it next Easter then," joked Kurt.

Blaine chuckled as well. "Hey, hey c'mere."

Kurt crossed the room, "Yes?"

Blaine was sitting on the bed, Kurt standing in front of him. "I love you. You're really cute you know."

Kurt smiled and kissed Blaine's forehead, "flattery will get you everywhere."

Kurt turned his head to nip at Blaine's ear. "Kurt, mmm, that feels really good."

Kurt bent down so he was on his knees facing Blaine. He kissed a long line down Blaine's jaw, to his neck, to the hem of his t-shirt. His fingers grabbed at the bottom of Blaine's t-shirt and pulled it up, exposing his abdomen and chest.

He licked slow lazy circles around Blaine's nipples and down to his belly button, causing Blaine to whimper in desperation as his arousal tented his gym shorts.

Without a word Kurt grabbed the waistband of Blaine's short and yanked them down along with his boxers.

"Oh god I love mornings," moaned Blaine as he felt his boyfriend's lips surround the tip of his cock.

**Oh I am mean – that's all you get! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to hopefully bringing you the next one in a few days. **

***The next chapter after this one will feature Kurt's menswear showcase back in NYC. ***I am taking suggestions/desperately need help*** picking a song that will be featured during the showcase that is NOT Madonna's **_**Express Yourself **_**or **_**Material Girls**_** OR Lady Gaga's **_**Fashion**_**. Please help. Please.***

**Just a note we are *officially* going AU with this story now. It is my hope to finish this fic during the  
>Glee hiatus, but I'm only cautiously optimistic about that. I have big plans for our boys and I'm also a currently unemployed grad school graduate who's looking for work so if (when?) I get a job and move I'm not sure about my writing schedule. If the fic is still being written when season 3 premiers none of that will be included in this, sorry.<strong>

**Final Annoyingly long Authors Note. I googled about anti-anxiety meds and pregnancy so my information about Emma not taking her meds during her pregnancy is just what I was able to find online. I'm not a doctor of course, and my information is highly likely to be inadequate, ill informed or just plain wrong. **

**OH – IT'S NEARLY 5 AM. YA'LL KEEP ME UP SO DAMN LATE WRITING. Ah well. **


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello readers, ya'll are an awesome bunch, so thank you once again to my repeat reviewers as well as the favorite-ers and alert-ers. Means the World guys. Sorry this chapter is coming a bit later than usual, I spent HOURS looking for the right song for Kurt's show. I hope I don't disappoint though some of you may be unfamiliar, I suggest youtubing it. **

**Mardie 186 –I'm seeing GleeLive! in June and am also super excited for Single Ladies as well as the Klaine skit. I also got tix for the Darren Criss acoustic set in NYC so I'm pumped for that as well. Haven't been to a concert in well over a decade so I'm thrilled to be able to go. **

**Marli-slash fan – your comment made me smile SO much. Thank you. I'm glad you liked the 'kids,' this won't be the last you've heard from them. **

**Alright, let's see how Kurt's show goes. This chapter is full of fluff and smut but I promise plot points are being made even if they're not super apparent right at first. **

July 18th 2015.

"Do I have to go? Cant I just tell them I'm sick or something?" Kurt stood in their bathroom half dressed and looked at Blaine with pleading eyes.

"No," Blaine said, gently but firmly, "Kurt sweetheart you're going to be phenomenal. You've been working on this project for seven months. It's going to be amazing."

"I can't do this. I hate fashion, I hate clothes, I never wanna look at a Vogue magazine again!" Kurt ranted as he fiddled with the shoestrings on his boots, trying and failing to tie them.

Blaine took pity on his freaking-out boyfriend and crossed into the bathroom. He bent down and tied Kurt's shoe. "Kurt Hummel, you _love_ fashion, and clothes, and vogue, and performing. We are going, and if we don't go soon we're never going to get a cab."

Kurt smoothed out his hair and took a big shaky breath, "You're right, you're right, damn you for being right all the time. I'm just so nervous. What if my models don't show up? What if the clothes don't fit right? What if someone trips on the runway? Blaine _real_ designers are going to be there! What if they hate everything I made? What if-"

Blaine stood up and clapped his hand over Kurt's mouth, "Enough," he said as gently as he could. "You're going to make yourself sick." He took his hand off from Kurt's mouth and cradled Kurt's chin with his hand, leaning in to place a soft slow kiss on his lips. "I love you, and you will, as always, be fabulous, just because it's you."

Kurt took a couple more breaths and seemed to calm down slightly for real this time. "I love you too," he said, a small smile playing at his lips. He walked to his dresser and pulled on his jacket. Kurt's entire outfit tonight was self designed and constructed. He adjusted himself and then slowly turned to face Blaine.

"You look incredible Kurt," Blaine breathed out, taking in the effects of the full ensemble. Kurt stood before him wearing a kilt for only the second time in his life and this time Blaine didn't have any of the reservations he felt back in the day with Kurt's junior prom.

Kurt had designed a coordinated look that featured a mulberry colored shirt that fit him perfectly and featured electric blue and silver swirls that danced around the fabric. On his neck he wore a necklace of silver keys he had made in high school (_A/N: Think SOWK_). His black jacket was constructed from an asymmetrical design and sparkling silver accents on the cuffs and collar. The kilt was made from the same shiny material as the jacket and swayed low on his hips, there were electric blue pockets also adorned with the silver accents on either side and the kilt stopped just above Kurt's knees.

Kurt's legs were bare with the exception of the sturdy black leather boots that rose to the middle of his calves. Everything was created with the utmost care and careful construction. Blaine wished he knew the technical terms for everything in Kurt's outfit, but all he could think of was how stunningly handsome his boyfriend looked at this moment. He wanted those expertly made clothes that made his boyfriend look delicious to be in a discarded heap on the floor, but that moment would have to wait until after the show.

"Thank you," said Kurt quietly, "I guess we had better be going…"

Blaine took Kurt's arm and wrapped it in his, "Let's go, rockstar."

***BREAK***

The cab took them to the specially designed outdoor pavilion where the showcase would be held. Four other designers from FIT had been chosen to have their lines model however Kurt's was the only menswear line. As soon as they pulled up to the pavilion and out of the cab Kurt planted a searing kiss on Blaine's lips, told him he loved him, and to say thank you to Rachel, Tina, Quinn and Mercedes for coming and he would see Blaine at the end of the show. A millisecond after that Kurt's professor seemed to materialize out of nowhere and yanked Kurt off inside.

Blaine stood outside the pavilion waiting for any of the girls to text him that they were there. Blaine was glad so many of Kurt's friends were able to be here since his family couldn't afford a second trip out to New York so soon and Kurt had insisted they come for Blaine's graduation rather than his show. Kurt theorized he'd have hundreds of shows but Blaine would only have a couple of graduations.

"Hi Blaine!" Blaine looked up and saw Kurt's friend and classmate Gil Abbot walking toward him.

"Hey Gil, are you excited for the show?"

"I'm totally stoked. I was thrilled when Kurt asked me to design all the accessories, I love him and have been itching to finally display my metalworking," she said, smiling brightly. She tucked a lock of hot pink hair behind her ear.

"Well, if your pieces are anything like the samples Kurt showed me a few weeks ago I'm sure it won't disappoint." Kurt had brought home some samples of cufflinks, watches, lapel pins and broaches to show Blaine, they had both ooh-ed and ahh-ed over Gil's expert craftsmanship. Her pieces were unique, well made and stood out without being garish.

"Thanks. Well, I better get inside and find Kurt and the models. See you later."

"See you," said Blaine. He watched her walk away and the memory of Kurt's meeting with Kei at McKinley floated into his mind. He hoped Kei was alright. Kurt had talked to Gil at length about all the resources and advice she had to offer a young trans person and had sent over everything he found to Mrs. Schuester. Gil had even gone so far as to offer to let Kei have her contact information, just so Kei would have someone to talk to. Blaine didn't know Gil very well, but he admired her. Emma was happy to have the information and passed Gil's contact information along to Kei but as far as he knew Kei hadn't tried to contact Gil yet. It wasn't his place to ask either, but he hoped Kei, Zoe and Jerome were alright. He made a mental note to check in with Dave soon to see if any new developments had occurred.

Just as his brain threatened to get lost in thought he heard a cry of "Blaine Warbler!" from several feet away and turned around to see Rachel, Tina, Mercedes and Quinn walking towards him.

"Rachel I haven't been in the Warblers in a long, long time," he answered her as she pulled him into a hug. He greeted the others before handing out their tickets.

"This is so exciting!" exclaimed Tina, happy that she had the night off work in order to come to the showcase.

"It's a shame Kurt didn't design women's clothes this time, I'd love to have some," commented Quinn.

"Kurt says fashion has no gender, remember, so if you see something you like I'm sure he'd make you something to fit you," offered Mercedes.

"You think so?" asked Quinn.

Blaine nodded, "Yeah, I mean he might make you pay for it because we're kinda poor at the moment but this is his life, he loves it. He has designed dresses and gowns before, it's just chance that he picked menswear for his spring project and that's what got picked up for the showcase."

They made their way inside the pavilion after handing their tickets over to the doorman. Inside was a large room with a couple hundred chairs and a long expansive runway. Many people were already there and chatting animatedly about the work they were about to see.

"How're things going with Spring Awakening Rachel?" Blaine inquired.

Rachel beamed at him, "They're excellent. My talent fits in beautifully with the show. I've decided to take the fall semester off from school in order to fully concentrate on my work. You'll be coming of course, to our first show at the end of September? Finn will be there too."

"We wouldn't miss it," Blaine answered, "But doesn't Finn have football games in September?"

She nodded, "He does but they already posted the schedule so it looks like unless there is a weather issue that particular weekend should be fine. If it weren't for two-a-days right now I'd have flown him out for Kurt's show tonight."

Blaine smiled at her warmly, thankful for her thoughtfulness. Rachel could be totally crazy and difficult at sometimes, but she deeply cared for those around her.

He checked his watch, they still had a few minutes until the showcase was set to begin.

"How're you Tina? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm exhausted to be honest, I'm working full time, happy graduation by the way and I'm trying to publish an anthology of poetry me and a few friends have been working on," she said, leaning in to speak past Mercedes.

"Thanks, and I hope the anthology works out, you'll have to let Kurt and I know when it's published so we can get a copy."

"Are you excited for the fall Blaine?"

Blaine turned past Rachel to answer Quinn, "Yeah, a bit nervous but excited. Is Kevin excited for grad school?"

Her face lit up at the mention of his name, which Blaine found adorable. The two had made their burgeoning relationship official just days before, "I think he's the same as you, excited but nervous. Ugh I don't even want to think about graduate school. Miss New York and regular undergrad keep me stressed enough."

"You can say that again Miss I-Clean-The-Apartment-At-Three-AM because it's finals and I'm flipping out," said Mercedes, narrowing her eyes at her roommate.

"Better than trashing the apartment at three AM!" retorted Quinn.

"I suppose," said Mercedes huffily. Blaine wasn't sure how the two managed to live together but though they spat often it seemed to work out rather well.

Mercedes turned to him, "What do you know about the clothes Kurt designed for tonight?"

Blaine shrugged, "Not much. I just come home to him pinning bits of fabric around half naked or nearly naked men all the time."

The four girls laughed, "Remind me to invite myself over next time," said Tina.

"Shh! Shh! Guys it's starting!" chirped Rachel, clapping her hands in delight. The lights flashed twice, indicating the show would start soon.

An upbeat dance track began to play, matching the pavilions nervous excitement. A tiny little man with spiky jet black hair bounded out onto the stage.

"Hey, that's Christian Siriano!" Mercedes and Quinn said together.

The former Project Runway winner and current hot designer walked to the middle of the main stage. "Good Evening! Welcome to the Fashion Institute of Technology's Spring Fashion Showcase. My name is Christian Siriano and it is my pleasure to present to you these wonderfully talented young designers. We will see a diverse swath of work this evening covering everything from ready-wear to work clothes to haute couture. Of the five designers, each will present twelve looks from their spring lines for your enjoyment. These young designers are all either juniors or seniors at FIT and were carefully selected among the student body to have their work presented tonight. Let's have a hand for our designers!"

The crowd clapped enthusiastically. "Who's ready for some fashion?" Christian asked. The crowd clapped and whooped again. "Alright, let me introduce our first designer miss Jolene Smith. Jolene graduated from FIT this May and….."

***BREAK***

Kurt was last to go on. Mercedes, Rachel, Blaine, Quinn and Tina were all bouncing up and down in their seats now, anxious for Kurt to finally go. The other looks had been awesome and interesting but seeing as none of them had quite the level of commitment to fashion as one Kurt Hummel, they were ready to cheer for their friend.

Finally, after Andrea Goldstein departed the stage flocked by her twelve models, Christian came under the spotlight once more. "We have one more designer for you tonight. This designers name is Kurt Hummel. Kurt recently finished his junior year at FIT and is from Lima, Ohio. He is joined here this evening by his boyfriend Blaine and several friends. Kurt is one of two juniors to be chosen for tonight's showcase and his line is the sole menswear collection. He would like to thank his friend Gil Abbot for the creation of the accessories featured this evening. Kurt's motto is 'Every moment of your life is an opportunity for fashion.' That's fierce Kurt, and I couldn't agree more. Let's have a hand for Kurt Hummel everyone!"

The five clapped extra enthusiastically though Kurt could not yet be seen. They had observed from the earlier performances that the designers usually hung back behind stage until making a walk of the runway at the end of the models walk through.

The lights dimmed, throwing the pavilion into darkness. Christian exited the stage and the spotlight came on again just as a curtain was pulled back. Music started to play just as Kurt's first model, a tall thin man wearing a well fitted sweater/scarf/jeans combo, marched on stage.

The music grew louder as the first few bars began to play.

_Golden years, gold whop whop whop  
>Golden years, gold whop whop whop<br>Golden years, gold whop whop whop_

Blaine, Rachel and Mercedes all tilted their heads together at the same time. That voice, coming from the speakers…that was Kurt! Kurt singing… Golden Years by David Bowie. Blaine _knew_ Kurt had something unexpected up his sleeves, he never disappointed.

_Don't let me hear you say life's taking you nowhere, angel  
>Come get up my baby<br>Look at that sky, life's begun  
>Nights are warm and the days are young<br>Come get up my baby_

Kurt sounded amazing. The song had a slightly different arrangement to better fit Kurt's unique voice and it seemed like it was sped up a smidge with a harder bass that beat in time with the models walk down the runway.

_There's my baby, lost that's all  
>One I'm begging you save her little soul<br>Golden years, gold whop whop whop  
>Come get up my baby<em>

_Last night they loved you, opening doors and pulling some strings  
>Come get up my baby<br>In walk lucked and you looked in time  
>Never look back, walk tall, act fine<br>Come get up my baby_

Everyone looked on in awe as Kurt's models walked passed. Yes, the fashion was a little "out there" for some, but it fit Kurt's personality perfectly and for high fashion, he fit right in. Each of the models swaggered out onto stage, walking the length of the runway before striking a pose, turning and walking back.

_I'll stick with you baby for a thousand years  
>Nothings going to touch you in these golden years, gold<br>Golden years, gold whop whop whop  
>Come get up my baby<em>

_Some of these days, and it won't be long  
>Gonna drive back down where you once belonged<br>In the back of a dream car twenty foot long  
>Don't cry my sweet, don't break my heart<br>Doing all right, but you gotta get smart  
>Wish upon, wish upon, day upon day, I believe oh lord<br>I believe all the way  
>Come get up my baby<br>Run for the shadows, run for the shadows, run for the shadows in these golden years_

The final model walked past Blaine and the girls dressed in a crisp black suit with faux-feathered capelet and tall boots. As soon as he was 3/4ths of the way back to the main stage Kurt walked out, his expression a sly grin as he too made his way down the runway. Blaine and the girls cheered and catcalled for him from their fourth row seats. Blaine wasn't sure he had ever seen a sexier thing in his life than watching Kurt strut proudly down that runway in clothes he himself had designed, created and tailored.

_I'll stick with you baby for a thousand years  
>Nothings gonna touch you in these golden years<em>

Kurt flashed a princess wave at the crowd before dashing behind the curtain once more. Christian reentered the limelight to announce the end of the show and thank everyone for coming. Chairs started to scrape against the metal floor and the crowd began to disperse. Blaine kept an eye out for Kurt who skipped over to him and the girls after a few minutes.

Blaine enveloped his boyfriend in a tight hug, kissing him all over his face, "I *kiss* am *kiss* so *kiss* damn *kiss* proud of you!"

Kurt giggled under Blaine's touch. "Thank you!" He detached himself from his boyfriend in order to hug the girls.

"Thank you guys so much for coming!" he squealed.

"We wouldn't miss it," answered Mercedes.

"You sounded fantastic Kurt! David Bowie, I'm surprised," said Rachel.

"Bowie is a fellow boundary pusher, and that song is amazing. It's well within my range and was a natural choice," said Kurt.

"That whole show was so amazing! And those guys were so hot. Did you _see _the abs on the guy who was modeling the beach wear?" Tina asked, smiling fondly at the memory.

Kurt laughed, "I've been sewing around those abs for three months now."

Blaine clicked his tongue and Kurt patted him on the head, "But yours are the only abs I'm interested in," he said, leaning in for a kiss.

They stood and chatted for several minutes, discussing their favorite Kurt looks, how Kurt had managed to make Blue and Black and Mulberry work so well on his outfit, and lamenting that Gil had to leave right after so they couldn't meet the metalworker just yet.

The six spoke animatedly until Kurt's phone buzzed with a text. His professor was wondering where he was. All the designers had been instructed to attend a private party with one guest immediately after the show to schmooze and network with as many other more-well known industry people as possible. With final hugs and thank you's Kurt said goodbye to the girls and took Blaine by the hand into the large party space adjacent to the main pavilion.

Kurt showed the bouncer his FIT-Showcase Badge and the burly man let him and Blaine inside.

The space opened up to a large lounge. Soft house music played in the background and models, designers and other important people milled around. Waiters carried heavy trays of appetizers and mixed drinks.

Kurt's favorite professor, Melinda Bosworth, greeted him and Blaine in a warm hug and congratulated him on a successful showcase. Kurt seemed lighter than air and was positively glowing with positive energy as he and Blaine made their way through the crowd, socializing with everyone and comparing design techniques. Blaine wished Burt, Carole and Finn could have been there because Kurt was the clear star of the show. He took out his camera and snapped photos of himself with Kurt, Kurt with his models and Kurt with the other designers. He'd email them to Finn tomorrow. Blaine was happy to let Kurt steer him around the lounge, meeting dozens of people he'd never remember and beaming proudly at his boyfriend.

***BREAK***

"That was an excellent showcase of yours, Mr. Hummel," a deep voice drawled from behind him.

No. No it couldn't be. Kurt slowly turned around.

Holy shit. It was Zeb Marques, one of the biggest designers of the decade, standing there with his hand out dressed simply in a crisp all black suit.

"Oh, my manners, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zeb Marques…you may be familiar with my work?"

Kurt gaped at him. "I…I, I know who you are! I love your work. It is to die for. It is so nice to meet you Mr. Marques."

The tall, slightly balding man seized Kurt's hand, "Call me Zeb."

"Right! Okay. Thank you Zeb. I'm glad you liked the showcase. Everyone worked so hard on it and my friend Gil Brunner designed all the accessories I used and-"

Zeb cut him off with a wave of his hand, "The show was fine, but your work, it was impeccable."

Kurt beamed and tried to retain his ability to form words, "Thank you so much Zeb."

Zeb studied him for a long time, "You're going to be a senior in the fall right?"

Kurt nodded.

"Seniors usually intern somewhere…have you got one yet?"

Kurt blushed embarrassedly, "No…not yet. I'm still waiting to hear back from a few designers and agencies."

Zeb looked him over once more, "How'd you like to work with me?"

It was all Kurt could do to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. He'd sent in an application and portfolio to Marque Designs way back in January and hadn't heard a word from them. Zeb Marque was someone Kurt would die to work with, he loved bold design and unconventional structure. Kurt blinked when he realized Zeb was probably waiting for an answer.

"I-I-I'd love to! That would be such an honor!"

"Excellent. This is my card. Call my secretary on Monday and she'll work out all the details for when you start in September."

Kurt grasped the card with shaky hands, "I will do that, I will absolutely do that. Thank you so much."

"It's nothing. I just know what I like, and when I see it, I go and I get it."

A moment later Zeb's senior assistant nudged his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Zeb scowled before returning his attention to Kurt.

"I must bid you adieu, I've been called to Milan to deal with some production issues. It's an emergency so I'm going to take the helicopter from the rooftop to my jet," he paused while Kurt looked at him in amazement trying to figure out if he had just said "take the helicopter to my jet" like he was talking about stopping for coffee.

"Oh I know. I had a limo waiting to take me home, but as I'm obviously not using it, why don't you?"

If Kurt's eyes grew any wider they were going to fly off the sides of his face. "Zeb...no, no I couldn't do that…no no I mean, that's that's..."

Zeb raised his eyebrows at him, "what you don't want to take the limo for the evening?"

Kurt stared at him, horrified, "No! No it's not that, I'm so flattered you offered I just don't have the finances to pay for a limo ride and-"

Zeb hushed him once again with another flit of his hand, "Mr. Hummel, it's paid for already of course. Go, enjoy it. Just tip the driver nicely. When you leave just tell the valet I sent you."

"O-okay, okay!" Kurt stammered, "Thank you so much Zeb, for everything."

"Don't mention it," Zeb said dismissively, "just run along and be a good boy, I really must be going."

With a click of his heel Zeb turned and was off, whispering heatedly with his assistant.

Kurt stood there in shock for a minute before Blaine found him again, back from his lengthy excursion to find a bathroom in the crowded lounge.

"Kurt?"

"Kurt, what's going on babe?" Blaine waved a hand in front of Kurt's face to snap him out of it.

"Blaine! Ohmygod Blaine you will _never_ believe what just happened!" Kurt shrieked. He quickly filled in a grinning Blaine about what had just happened with Zeb Marque.

Blaine pulled him into a tight hug and they both bounced up and down on the heels of their feet.

"Kurt that is amazing! Your hard work is really paying off! I am so proud of you sweetheart! I love you," Blaine exclaimed, looking at Kurt with eyes full of adoration and love.

Kurt was beside himself. "I love you too. I can't believe this. I thought for sure I wouldn't find an internship with anyone at all because no one had responded to my applications, but now…oh my god Marque Designs…"

Blaine grabbed his hand and they walked back into the main room of the party. Loud house music played while the other showcase designers danced and laughed with the models and the other guest. Kurt decided to keep the news about Marque Designs to himself for the evening but couldn't wipe the wide grin off his face as Blaine twirled him around the dance floor.

The evening wore on and after another hour Kurt and Blaine bid his models, classmates and Gil goodnight. They practically skipped towards the exit of the building and Kurt told the awaiting valet that Mr. Zeb Marque had sent them. The valet offered him a supremely bored look but spoke into his walkie-talkie and called up a large shiny black limousine.

Kurt clapped his hands in his excitement as Blaine opened the door for them and they scrambled in. The driver, an older African-American man with salt and pepper hair glanced back at them from the partition.

"Evening gentlemen, where are we going?"

Kurt was too busy looking around the expansive limousine to reply so Blaine told him their address. The Driver nodded his understanding.

"Is this Mr. Marque's limousine?" Kurt asked the driver.

"No, he just called our company; I've never driven for him before. His assistant phoned ahead to let us know you two would be coming instead. First time in a limo, eh kid?"

Blaine shook his head no but Kurt nodded.

"Well this baby is state of the art. Bulletproof tinted windows, immaculately clean, leather seats, there should be some complimentary refreshments in the cooler to your left, the cabin is totally soundproof if you close the partition, the intercom allows us to speak if the window is closed, and the remote to the stereo is on the wall to your right."

"Wow," Kurt whispered.

Blaine reached into the cooler and was completely unsurprised but pleased to find a bottle of champagne and two glasses within. He popped the cork and poured himself and Kurt a glass.

"Thanks," Kurt said, smiling widely.

"You're welcome," Blaine leaned in to give Kurt a kiss against his cheek.

They sipped champagne and talked some more about the showcase. Kurt especially liked Jolene Smiths line, her plus size suits looked fantastic.

"Guys?" The driver asked, interrupting their conversation about the horrific shoes Kurt's classmate Andrea had chosen for her models.

"Yes?" Kurt asked.

"It looks like we've hit the traffic. I think we're going to be stuck here for a while, it could be another half hour or so until I get you guys home."

"Oh, okay, well, thanks for letting us know," Blaine replied.

Blaine thought about it for a minute, bit his lip and then leaned in to Kurt.

"Did you hear him say the cabin is _totally sound proof_ if you shut the partition?" Blaine murmured, grinning wickedly against Kurt's ear.

Kurt took a long draw of his champagne. He smiled at Blaine through his long eyelashes. "Okay."

Blaine's eyebrows shot up, he had expected far more resistance, but maybe Kurt had relaxed a bit after their successful rental car sex last month, "Really?"

Kurt reached forward and closed the partition. "What can I say? This isn't my future boss' personal limo or anything and tonight is a good night."

Blaine chuckled and pulled Kurt toward him and into his lap. "Well, it's about to get a lot better."

Kurt's laugh was lost when Blaine's mouth found his. He cupped Blaine's face with his hands as Blaine's hands wrapped around his back. Their lips moved together, warm and tingly from the champagne

Blaine licked Kurt's bottom lip before kissing his chin, jaw, and down his neck. Kurt threw his head back and let out a happy sigh as Blaine licked and sucked at his long elegant neck. Blaine reached for the buttons of Kurt's jacket, getting them undone and carefully (Kurt did design this after all) easing it off Kurt's shoulders and resting it on the seat next to them. Underneath Kurt was wearing the softest mulberry colored cotton t-shirt Blaine had ever touched. It was nearly as soft and smooth as the porcelain skin of his lover.

Blaine ran his fingers over Kurt's chest, rubbing at his nipples through the soft material. Kurt moaned and made to remove Blaine's suit jacket but Blaine brushed him off.

"Shh, don't worry about me for a minute, just relax okay?"

Kurt stared at him for a long moment, his eyes dark with desire. Finally he let his hands rest on either side of him. Blaine went back to kissing Kurt's neck and eased one hand up and under the back of Kurt's shirt, rubbing slow circles into the small of Kurt's back.

Blaine rested his other hand on one of Kurt's knees. Kurt kept his eyes closed, his body pliant and open under Blaine's ministrations. Blaine's fingers danced upward to the hem of Kurt's kilt and he heard a distinctive sharp intake of breath from his boyfriend.

"Mmm…Blaine you feel so good…"

Blaine smiled into the kiss he was planting along Kurt's collarbone. Well if this was good…

He reached under Kurt and lifted his hips up and off of Blaine's lap and onto the seat. Kurt pouted at the loss of contact until he caught on to what Blaine was planning to do as Blaine shifted down off his seat and into a kneeling position on the carpet of the limos floor.

He nudged Kurt's knees apart and pushed his black kilt up until it was bunched around his waist. Blaine's hands slid under Kurt's ass, giving him a firm squeeze before clasping around the waistband of the teeniest tiniest electric blue briefs he had ever seen in his life and sliding them down Kurt's thighs, over his knees, down and around his boots and finally off.

Kurt was trembling in anticipation and he groped around with his eyes closed until he found Blaine's shoulders and he rested his hands there as Blaine scooted in closer to Kurt.

"Oh Blaine," Kurt sighed as Blaine's fingertips ran along his inner thighs.

Blaine would drag his nails softly up from just above Kurt's kneecaps right up until where his arousal was straining but wouldn't touch him there yet. It was enough to drive a person insane.

Just when Kurt was about to die Blaine wrapped one hand around Kurt's shaft and the other massaged his balls. Kurt groaned in appreciation. Blaine lowered his mouth onto Kurt and kissed the tip. Kurt's fingers dug into Blaine's shoulders as Blaine licked along the head and slowly pumped his hand up and down.

"Blaine, oh my god your mouth feels so good," panted Kurt.

Blaine eased his hand off Kurt so he could lick quick lines and wet circles all along the shaft. He took as much of Kurt into the wet heat of his mouth and it was all Kurt could do not to buck up into Blaine's mouth and choke him. Blaine held Kurt's hips down with his now free hand and bobbed his head up and down over Kurt, sucking and licking and playing with his arousal.

Kurt still had his eyes closed, his head turned to the side resting against the soft leather fabric of the seat. A thin sheen of sweat covered his flushed face. "Fuck…fuck…oh god _Blaine…_" he moaned incoherently.

Kurt whined with loss when Blaine suddenly released him from his mouth with a pop. Blaine eased Kurt's hands off his shoulders and replaced them with either of Kurt's legs, causing Kurt to sink further into the limousine's seat. Kurt peaked an eye open just as Blaine shoved two of his own fingers into his mouth and licked them until they were slick. His dick twitched just at the thought of what Blaine was about to do.

Blaine had arranged Kurt so he had just enough clearance to have access to Kurt's entrance. With one his saliva covered finger he eased himself in as he took Kurt into his mouth again. Once Kurt's muscles had relaxed enough to let him push up and in Kurt was mewling in pleasure and begging for more. Blaine pushed two fingers into Kurt and crooked them just enough to brush against,

"holy shit Blaine!" there's the spot, thought Blaine.

Kurt's hips jerked forward of their own accord and after a couple tries Blaine got the hang of it and was able to lick and suck on Kurt without choking, while fingering Kurt and stroking his prostate. One of Kurt's hands gripped the leather seats and the other was furiously flying through Blaine's curls again and again.

"So close, so close," Kurt gasped out.

He always warned Blaine when he was about to climax so Blaine could pull away if he wanted to, but Blaine just happily started humming in the back of his throat and a minute later the oddly sweet and bitter mixture that made Kurt _Kurt _was spilling down his throat. Blaine pumped his fingers in and out as Kurt rode the wave of his orgasm until his chest stopped heaving quite as hard. He pulled his fingers out and wiped them off on a tissue he had in his pocket before brushing his hair back out of his eyes and taking a seat next to a whimpering Kurt.

Kurt threw his arms around Blaine and kissed him, hot and hard. He could taste himself slightly on Blaine's swollen lips. He pulled back and kissed his lover again, gentler this time.

"I love you so much Blaine."

"I love you too."

Kurt then erupted into a fit of giggles and hastily picked up his briefs from where they had been tossed and eased them back on.

"This has been the best night ever," chirped Kurt happily, cuddling with Blaine on the soft leather seats.

Blaine kissed his forehead, "I'm glad."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before the intercom buzzed at them. They pressed the speaker button,

"Yes?" Kurt asked.

"We're just pulling up to your place now."

"Oh, thank you." Blaine opened the partition and handed the driver a twenty with what has hopefully an innocent and nonchalant look on his face.

"Have a good night you two."

"Thank you, thanks for the ride, it was *giggle* spectacular," Kurt chirped as he and Blaine exited the limo.

***BREAK***

Kurt sighed as he snuggled with Blaine in bed, his eyelids sinking lower and lower, threatening to close completely.

"Hmm?" Blaine said, struggling to stay awake himself.

Kurt gave his chest a squeeze, "nothing, I'm just really happy."

"Me too. You should be really proud of yourself babe, you were fantastic tonight," Blaine said, rubbing Kurt's back.

"Thank you. Things are really coming together huh? I finally have an internship for my senior year and you'll be starting law school in the fall…"

"I know, big changes ahead. I have to go to the book store tomorrow to pick up my Legal Lines for my classes. What do you want to do for the rest of the summer before our schedules get insane again?"

"Well, have lots and lots of sex with you, and I'm going to work at the Drama Camp with Mercedes since Rach can't anymore, Gaga help me with those little monsters, so that will keep me pretty busy and you start work at the library…when?"

"Wednesday. I think with us both working we'll be busy enough but thankfully have some money coming in. I agree on the lots and lots of sex part, I'm really hoping we can relax this summer outside of work because I know law school is going to be insane. I'm thinking catching the end of Shakespeare in the Park, lots of trips to Central Park and wandering around Chelsea."

Kurt yawned, "That sounds good to me."

Blaine opened his mouth to say more but exhaustion took hold of him and he settled for resting his head against Kurt's and allowed sleep to take him.

**Thanks for reading – I hope you enjoyed. The review button is directly below so if you feel so moved feel free to click away.**

***The next chapter will take place in September 2015, and will explore the start of both Kurt's internship with Marque Designs as well as Blaine's L1 year.* The following chapter will be our big ND reunion as it is Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving may or may not stretch out to be several chapters long, depending, there's a lot of plot to go over. **

** Thanks for sticking through the first few chapters, the "introductory" section of this fic is coming to a close and we're about to head first into major plot arcs (plus lots of smut and fluff of course). **

*****Lastly, still looking for a beta…*****


	6. Chapter 5

**You guys are the best. The BEST. Seriously, this little story is getting a lot more attention the last few days and I thank ya'll for the love. Thank you so much for all the reviews and whatnot.**

**Also, I have a beta finally! Major Kudos to Alison (CruorLuna) who generously offered to Beta this story for me.**

**This chapter begins another arc of our story that will last *consults storyboard* approximately 5 chapters, give or take.**

**A note on updating – it is my sincere wish to update as often as possible. However, I'd like these chapters to be quality work and not just "oh hey, time to update let's throw some plot on the wall and see what sticks," and also, I'm actively applying for jobs/interviewing so if (when!) I become gainfully employed that may cause its own issues. Plus, writers block happens (happened with this chapter, till Finn,_of all people_, came in and saved the day).**

September 3rd, 2015.

_Big day today_, thought Kurt as he finished applying the last of his moisturizer in the bathroom he and Blaine shared. He gave himself a once-over in the mirror and smiled before exiting the bathroom and walking quietly back into the bedroom. Blaine was sleeping peacefully, having sprawled out over the whole bed in the half hour or so that Kurt had been awake. The top sheet and comforter had been thrown from the bed in the middle of the night due to the summer heat.

Kurt clambered onto the bed as quietly as he could, straddling Blaine but not settling any weight onto him. He leaned forward and kissed Blaine's forehead.

Blaine twitched in his sleep but kept his eyes closed. Kurt then planted light kisses against each of Blaine's cheeks and finally kissed him on his lips. After a second Blaine's mouth responded and he was kissing back while tentatively opening his eyes.

Kurt pulled back as Blaine's hands settled themselves on Kurt's hips.

"Good morning," he said brightly. Blaine yawned.

"Good morning." Blaine turned to look at their alarm clock and winced. "Why did you wake me up so early? I don't have class 'til 11 and it's barely 8."

Kurt let his legs relax and apply some pressure onto Blaine's torso. He ground his hips into Blaine's abdomen and leaned forward again to whisper in Blaine's ear.

"I thought I'd give you a proper send off for your first day of law school." Blaine, whose eyes had been threatening to reclose, opened his eyes fully and broke out into a wide grin. He gripped Kurt's hips a little harder.

"I. _Love_. You."

"I love you too," Kurt giggled.

Kurt turned his head and kissed Blaine, and Blaine responded eagerly. They exchanged a long series of shy early morning kisses, barely there but so _there_ as they both became fully awake and aware of the other around them.

Blaine deepened the kiss, drawing Kurt's lower lip into his mouth and sucking on it. Kurt moaned against his boyfriend's mouth as Blaine nibbled against the sensitive area.

Kurt's hands raked through Blaine's sleep-mussed hair, and once Blaine finally released his lip with a groan, Kurt kissed down Blaine's mouth, over his jaw and to his left ear, licking and sucking along the way. Blaine's hands left Kurt's hips to rub wide lines up and down Kurt's bare thighs. Both of them were clad only in boxers.

Kurt felt goose bumps form on his recently moisturized skin as Blaine's hands delicately touched him. He let go of Blaine's curls and let his hands drag down Blaine's neck, over his collarbones and onto his chest, meeting up with Kurt's mouth as it kissed and licked around Blaine's nipples. They quickly hardened under Kurt's expert attention.

"Ungh, Kurt…Kurt," breathed Blaine, rolling his knuckles against the back of Kurt's thighs.

"Tell me what you want, baby…"

Blaine's back arched as he felt Kurt's teeth scrape lightly against his nipples, feeling all of his blood rushing southward. He grabbed Kurt under his arms and pulled him up, kissing him hungrily and grinding his hips against the slightly taller mans.

Kurt pushed his tongue into Blaine's mouth and massaged his tongue with his own. He pressed his tongue in and out of Blaine's mouth, mimicking what he knew Blaine wanted. Blaine hardened further with every dart of Kurt's tongue. He sucked on Kurt's tongue as groans and moans caught in his throat and vibrated against his lips.

"_Kurt_, _please_," Blaine gasped as he broke the kiss.

"Tell me; tell me what you want," Kurt repeated insistently, licking the shell of Blaine's right ear.

Blaine wanted to tell Kurt but was having a lot of trouble forming sentences at the moment. He tried to concentrate despite the delicious distraction of Kurt's tongue gliding over the muscles in his neck.

"K-Kurt, guh, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck me…please," he growled. Kurt nipped at Blaine's neck.

"Yes, sir."

Kurt rolled off of Blaine and reached over to their bedside drawer, taking out a condom and their bottle of lube. He put them down on the bed beside him for later before turning back to face his boyfriend. Blaine was smiling shyly at him, his chest heaving slightly.

Kurt kissed his warm lips once more before sliding his hands down Blaine's body and tugging his boxers off. Blaine mirrored the action on Kurt and they each lay on their sides, facing one another.

Kurt took the cap off of the lube and squeezed a little into both his and Blaine's hands. He scooted closer to Blaine before taking Blaine's member in his hand. Blaine grasped onto Kurt's erection as well, and they began slowly pumping their hands up and down in sync with each other. They rested their heads over each other shoulders, both trembling slightly.

Their movements grew rougher and faster as they jerked each other off; Kurt's slender delicate fingers wrapped around Blaine's cock while Blaine's coarser, guitar-calloused digits gripped Kurt. _God, this felt amazing_, thought Kurt - he could feel Blaine, warm and hard and ready in his hand, as his boyfriend stroked him just how he liked. A stream of curse words flew from Blaine's mouth.

Kurt flung one hand behind him and pulled down two pillows from over his head. He let go of Blaine, who whimpered even as he let Kurt steer him around and onto the pillows. He lay on his stomach, his hips elevated by the top-quality pillows of their bed.

"You are so handsome…" breathed Kurt as he took in the sight of his boyfriend. He rolled a condom onto himself before reapplying lube to his hand. "… And so wonderful, and I love you so much, Blaine," he finished as he leaned forward and pressed wet kisses to the back of Blaine's neck.

"I love you too baby." Blaine's head was titled to the side, looking at Kurt as he spoke softly. Kurt shifted downward and licked a slow line from the small of Blaine's back to his shoulder blades, causing Blaine to shiver with anticipation. "_K-K-Kurt_," he whined.

Kurt smirked and pushed Blaine's legs apart with one hand. He ran his lubricated fingers over the cleft of Blaine's ass, guiding his hand forward until he reached his entrance. Blaine grabbed fistfuls of the sheets as Kurt pushed a finger inside him, slow and steady, letting the tight ring of muscle grow accustomed to the intrusion. Blaine's face tensed and then relaxed after a moment, letting Kurt know it was ok for him to continue.

When Blaine was fully prepped, Kurt pulled his three fingers out and pushed Blaine's legs further apart. He shifted himself so he was settled between Blaine's legs and lined himself up with Blaine's entrance. They both bent their knees slightly as Kurt pushed inside, getting the angle just right.

"Oh Blaine, shit, you feel so good," panted Kurt as he was engulfed in Blaine's tight heat. Kurt slowly thrust in and out of his boyfriend, soaking up the familiar sensations of being one with his lover. Sex with Blaine was like wine, it got better with age.

"Ungh, God, Kurt, Kurt -_yesrighthere, yes, yes_…" Blaine growled, low in his throat, pushing his hips up and knees down to meet Kurt as he began to thrust harder and faster. Kurt knew he had made contact with Blaine's prostate and adjusted his angle to hit the hypersensitive spot again and again.

They rocked together, the bed creaking slightly underneath them. Kurt reached under Blaine to stroke his shaft, rubbing his thumb roughly against the head. Blaine felt the tension building in his lower abdomen and knew Kurt must be getting close too, as his thrusts became faster but less precise.

"Guh, Blaine…Blaine…_so_ close…" Kurt moaned, wiping his sweat-dampened hair from his eyes.

Blaine clenched and bore down as Kurt leaned forward and roughly kissed his neck, more dragging his wet lips over Blaine's neck than anything else. That was enough to push the tenor over the edge, and within a few seconds his hips were jerking upwards as he came.

Kurt thrust erratically into Blaine as he contracted around him, and just as Blaine's climax started to fade, Kurt came. He collapsed on top of Blaine, both breathing hard as they came down from their respective highs. Kurt kissed Blaine just below his hairline, and Blaine turned his head to kiss his lover gently on the lips.

"Rmhn," Blaine mumbled incoherently. "God, how I love you." Kurt giggled and kissed Blaine again as he slid out of him.

"I love you too sweetheart, but no falling asleep, okay? You gotta shower so you can go to class, Mr. Anderson: future esquire." Blaine groaned in protest as Kurt rolled off of him and got off the bed to dispose of the condom.

"Alright, if you insist." Blaine got up as well and pulled Kurt into his arms, pressing his forehead against that of the slightly taller man. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" he asked quietly.

"Only about two seconds ago, but I don't tire of it," Kurt giggled, pressing his lips to Blaine's. "I'm really proud of you, honey – you're going to be brilliant."

"Thank you …" Blaine breathed in slow and steady; _God, Kurt smelled good_. "And hey, there are only a few more days 'til your classes and your internship begin too." Kurt squealed in delight, making Blaine laugh softly.

"I know! I am _so_ excited. Marque Designs! This summer's stretched so long over July and August, I almost can't believe it's really happening."

"Well it is, Mr. Diva." Blaine finally detached himself from Kurt, grinning over his shoulder as he walked through to the bathroom to prepare for his big day.

* * *

><p>Blaine checked his phone: half past nine. Was Kurt ever going to come home? Blaine had gotten out of his classes around four and had expected Kurt a little after six. Then again. he hadn't been too surprised when Kurt had texted him around six thirty to say that his day was going well, but that he was being thrown into a project and didn't know when he'd be home. On his first day Kurt's boss, a designer named Zeb Marque, had kept him two extra hours choosing between fabric samples for coats, and on his second day he had kept Kurt an hour late by having Kurt wait for a fax about boots to arrive from Thailand.<p>

Blaine gave himself a shake – really, he was happy that Kurt was getting a lot out of his internship right from the start. Yes, Kurt was coming home exhausted – after all, he had class Monday through Thursday from 8 until 11, and then his internship Monday through Friday from noon 'til 5 – but Blaine knew that Kurt would throw himself whole-heartedly into doing well at this. Kurt was so passionate and ambitious. Blaine just hoped Mr. Marque wouldn't exploit his boyfriend's eagerness.

As a result of this, Blaine figured he'd be in for a lot of late nights alone, which would actually be okay once the work for law school really started to pick up. He chuckled to himself. 'Pick up'? He had already been assigned to read 200 pages by Friday; how much more 'picking up' could he handle? That aside, he didn't need to be around Kurt 24/7 to entertain himself.

Blaine wrinkled his nose in distaste as he looked at one of his textbooks. He had had more than enough of Latin and complicated legal jargon for one evening. He instead opened his laptop, signing onto Skype. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Wes was online as well, quickly clicking to place the call. After a few rings Wes answered, his face coming into focus on Blaine's computer screen, the background showing that he was in his California apartment. Wes had decided to become a graduate student at UCLA, after returning home from his semester abroad in Spain.

"Hey, man!" Blaine said cheerfully, glad of the chance to catch up with his friend.

"Hi Blaine, how's it going?" Wes asked with a grin of his own.

"Good. I'm just waiting for Kurt to get home." He could see his friend rolling his eyes at him even through the fairly low-quality computer camera.

"Have you no other friends? Do I need to send David over to check on you?"

"Ha, ha; very funny," retorted Blaine, sticking his tongue out oh-so-maturely. "How's grad school?"

"A pain. I'm so ready to be done with school. After being in Spain all last spring, where the atmosphere is so different, being back in a _school_ school environment is so strange," Wes sighed, picking up a few finance books and showing them to Blaine. In response, Blaine picked up his heavy law books and law encyclopedia, displaying them to the camera. "Ugh, forget I said anything," offered Wes. "Where is Kurt anyway?"

"He's still at his internship," Blaine explained, glancing towards the door. "He's interning with this really famous designer, Zeb Marque of Marque Designs, and it's going really well, but they're working Kurt pretty hard. I don't know; it's only the first week so it'll probably calm down."

"Marque Designs? I think I got Kate a bag from there for her birthday or Christmas or something once. Cost a fortune," Wes said, referencing his old high school girlfriend.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised. Quinn and Mercedes flipped when they found out he'd be there. They're dying for Kurt to score them some samples."

Blaine and Wes kept talking for the next twenty minutes, sharing their first impressions of graduate school, and talking about the late summer soccer season, with Wes inquiring about how OSU football was going. Kurt and Blaine had watched Dave, Puck and Finn play - and win - against IU in their first game of the season the week before on ESPN2. Well, Blaine had watched. Kurt had sketched hats and kept one eye on the game. Rachel normally came over to watch when the games were televised, doing her best – albeit hilariously awful – Cheerio impression whenever Finn came on screen, but her time was currently monopolized by Spring Awakening, which was set to open the weekend after next.

Wes had just said goodbye, claiming that he couldn't avoid his spreadsheets and financial projections analysis project any longer, when Blaine heard Kurt's keys jingle in the lock. A moment later, he walked into their small living room with hunched shoulders.

"Oh, I am _so_glad to be home," he sighed, kicking off his shoes and climbing into Blaine's lap on the couch. Blaine snuggled up to him, giving him a light squeeze and kissing his forehead.

"How was your day, baby?" he enquired. Even with the slight bags under them, the way Kurt's eyes lit up made his whole face seem radiant.

"By Gaga, Blaine, it was amazing. I'm still just following Zeb around, but hey it's only the third day, right? Anyway, first we went to this meeting with Harpers Bazaar, then we went to Muse to look at samples, then there was a meeting with some models for an upcoming show and this one model got mad because the other one was apparently sleeping with the photographer who was _her_ boyfriend, so she threw her Red Bull at the girl's hair, and she had just gotten a perm and couldn't get it wet and…oh it was insanity!"

"That sounds like quite a day," Blaine commented, laughing.

"It was, but I missed you," admitted Kurt with a yawn. "How was your day?" Blaine sighed as he felt Kurt's fingers brush against his scalp.

"It was alright, not as exciting as your day though. I missed you too. I had Constitutional Law this morning and Administrative and Regulatory State this afternoon. Things seem fine now, just a lot of reading and research, but this whole 'entire grade based off one final' thing…" He trailed off, pressing his index fingers to his temples. "That, I'm not really feeling."

"Yeah…no thanks. I think I'll stick with fashion. Speaking of which, I have a ton of homework to do still." He climbed off of Blaine and grabbed his messenger bag from the table, crossing the room to work at the small desk against the wall.

Blaine gave his textbook another forlorn glance before picking it up, reluctantly turning to page 364 and once again immersing himself in his own 'ton' of homework.

* * *

><p>Kurt's eyes flitted back and forth between the computer screen and his steno pad notebook as he took notes from reviews of Zeb Marque's last show in Milan. Part of his internship involved research, as well as data collection about the general reception of Marque Designs' work. Thankfully, most of the reviews were positive. He rubbed his eyes – he hadn't gotten a ton of sleep in the last few weeks, and staring at a computer screen wasn't helping.<p>

"Kurt."

Kurt blinked in surprise and turned around. He hadn't expected to see Zeb at all that day, as Kurt was leaving early to meet Finn's plane at the airport.

"Zeb, good afternoon," he greeted tentatively, hoping everything was alright. Zeb pulled up a chair and sat down next to him.

"Yes; afternoon. I wanted to speak with you about something."

"Okay…how can I help?" Kurt asked, after Zeb had neglected to elaborate for several moments.

"I'm doing a men's formalwear show next month and I need another look for it. I'm thinking futuristic meets old Hollywood," he explained, glancing at the computer screen and standing up again. "Oh, and I'd like you to design it." Kurt's eyes widened in shock.

"Really? Wow, okay – yes, sure! I already have ideas…" he grabbed his notepad and turned the page.

"Great. Have sketches and fabric samples on my desk before you leave today."

Kurt stopped mid-scrawl of his pencil. _Shit_.

"Zeb … Um, actually, I'm scheduled to leave early today, in about twenty minutes…. We talked about it a couple weeks ago? I have to go meet my brother and his girlfriend's parents at the airport, because his girlfriend is having her opening night on Broadway tonight?" he finished hurriedly.

Zeb offered him a mildly interested look.

"That's why I came in at nine today instead of noon like usual…" Kurt continued, biting his lower lip. Zeb shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, if you want to do the piece I suggest you figure it out, because I'll need those sketches and samples today. Unless, of course, you'd like me to ask someone else?"

This was his chance. Zeb Marque had proved to be a hard boss to please, and Kurt knew he couldn't screw this up. He shook his head firmly.

"No! No … I'll do it. I'll … think of something." Zeb smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Excellent. Remember, Kurt: fashion favors the ambitious and loyal." He gave Kurt's shoulder a quick squeeze. "As do I," he drawled, before turning and leaving the small office space.

Kurt looked around the room wildly. What was he going to do? There was no way he could come up with a design, draw quality sketches, choose the best fabrics and run to the store and pick up samples in the next twenty minutes. _Shit, shit, shit_.

He took out his phone and pressed and held the number two, activating speed-dial. This did not look good.

* * *

><p>Blaine picked up on the third ring, grinning down at the caller ID on his cell phone.<p>

"Hey! Are you out of work already? … Wait, what? … Kurt- Kurt, babe slow down. Slow. Down. Okay, what happened?" He paused to listen to Kurt's story, feeling a grin spread over his face as his boyfriend explained his news. "He wants you to design a look for his next show? That's awesome! … What? Today? But you can't- Yes I know... Kurt …" Blaine furrowed his brow. Kurt sounded really distressed about this. "Kurt, sweetheart, calm down. I'll go meet up with Finn and the Berrys. Really, it's fine – I was just doing some research about this case study we're doing. Yes, it's fine. Yes, I know I'm wonderful. Don't worry about it. Just do the sketches and stuff, and meet us at the theatre by 6:30, okay?" Blaine said calmly, shutting his laptop. "I love you too. Now get to work and we'll see you tonight."

He hung up the phone and chewed on his lower lip. Kurt was working incredibly hard at this internship, and while it was awesome that he'd been offered the opportunity to design something, Blaine was definitely starting to like Zeb Marque less and less. He sounded like a control freak.

He looked at his watch, realizing that he'd better get going if he wanted to be at the airport in time to meet Rachel's parents and Finn, since their apartment was further away from JFK than Kurt's work. Blaine walked into the bedroom and pulled on some sneakers from the closet, grabbed his wallet and headed out to the elevator.

There had been a few delays on the subway, so Blaine made it to the airport just as Finn and the Berrys' plane touched down. He sent Finn a text to let him know that he'd be meeting them rather than Kurt, and received a response saying that they'd meet him at baggage claim. Blaine had only met Rachel's dads once before, at Kurt and all the other McKinley kids' graduation. The two were extremely busy, it seemed, and traveled extensively, but he knew there was no way they'd miss this.

"Hey, man!" Finn greeted him brightly, giving Blaine a one armed hug.

"Hi, Finn! How's it going?"

"Good. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but where's Kurt?"

"He got held up at his internship. We'll see him tonight for Rachel's show."

"Oh, okay. Good," Finn replied, obviously relieved. Blaine nodded and smiled as he held out his hand to Hiram and Leroy Berry.

"It's nice to see you both again," he told them politely.

"Good to see you too, Blaine. Rachel told us you're in law school now? I think that's just wonderful!" Hiram praised him.

"I can't believe we're really here, in New York, to see our baby girl on BROADWAY!" exclaimed Leroy, throwing a 'victory' fist in the air, which earned him a few wary glances from other travelers.

"We haven't been to New York City since before we decided to have Rachel," Hiram explained, looking at his husband lovingly. Leroy took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I know. It's good to be back. How we ended up in Lima, I have no idea…"

They made their way out of the airport and hopped on the Amtrak, which would take them directly into Penn Station. Rachel's dads ignored them for most of the journey into midtown Manhattan, as they pointed out landmarks and reminisced with each other about their last trip to New York, some 25 years previously.

"So how are you, man? How's law school?" Finn asked of Blaine, seeming content to let the older men be and catch up with Kurt's boyfriend.

"It's … a lot of work, but my professors all seem pretty cool and I think I'm still on an excitement high. We'll see if that last through the rest of the semester, though," Blaine joked as the train sped through the city.

"That makes sense. I'm so ready to be done with school. Not that I have any idea what I wanna do after school, and I _need_to figure that out." Blaine glanced over at Finn – he looked a little…forlorn.

"Finn, you have like 10 months 'til you graduate, and tons of people have no idea what they'll do after school … why are you so stressed out about it?"

"Rachel has known what she wanted to do with her life since she was four years old," Finn admitted then, after taking a moment to think about his answer. "It's all coming together for her, and I want to support her and provide for her and…do all that stuff, but how can I if I have no idea what I want to do, or if I'll be good at it or whatever?"

"I'm sure it'll all work itself out," Blaine reassured him, giving his shoulder a squeeze as the train slowed to a halt at one of the stations en route to Manhattan. "And hey, as for not knowing what you want to do: living in a city with 10 million people and almost as many different types of job can only be helpful, right?" A grin spread across Finn's face then, in what Kurt would have called one of the taller man's: 'how are you so smart?' moments.

"Yeah! Yeah, man, you're right. There's like a zillion things I could try here."

"Totally," Blaine agreed. They sat in silence for a few minutes as the train carried on towards their destination. "So how's football going?"

Finn and Blaine argued spiritedly about football for the rest of their trip. Once they arrived at the station, they headed out into the city and made their way to the – only slightly – less common kind of Subway in New York to grab something to eat before the show. Rachel had texted Finn 11 times, and her fathers 23 times, each time being reassured that they were in New York, on their way, and would be there for her show so not to worry. She didn't seem convinced.

After hailing a cab to take them to Broadway, they waited outside of the theatre for Kurt as the milieu of cars, people, and lights of the big city whizzed past them. At 6:40 a wheezing Kurt came dashing up the street from the nearby subway exit. He stopped running about a foot away from Finn and Blaine.

"You made it!" observed Finn.

"Naturally," said Kurt airily as he quickly fixed some flyaway hairs. Once his hair was sufficiently fixed, he took a moment to hug Finn, give Blaine a hello kiss, and shake the Berrys' hands.

"You look tired, man," noted Finn, clapping a surprised Kurt on the shoulder.

"I am, but I am so excited to be here. Rachel Berry – on Broadway! If I didn't love her so much I'd just hate her…" He looked wide eyed at the Berry's, but they were so enamored with their surroundings it appeared they hadn't heard. "Anyway…we should probably go in, right?"

"Yeah, we should head in before they give our seats away," agreed Blaine, checking his watch. "It's supposed to be a full house."

The five made their way into the crowded theatre and handed over their tickets in exchange for programs. Rachel had reserved front row seats for them. They sat in their seats and buried their heads in the programs, Kurt and Hiram clapping when they found Rachel's name on the cast list.

Eventually the lights flashed twice before dimming and the play began. Rachel, who had been cast in the leading role of Wendla, was enchanting. The audience was mesmerized by the actors' dramatic performance. Kurt was nothing short of enraptured. He was content in his chosen profession, but watching Rachel up there…oh, it pulled at his heart. Blaine instinctively wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pressed a quick kiss to his temple.

The show ended in a rousing standing ovation. All of Rachel's cheer section waited for her as the audience filed out of the theatre. Finally, about fifteen minutes later, a bouncing Rachel Berry appeared from backstage and nearly tackled Finn to the ground. After releasing Finn, Rachel hugged her parents with tears streaming down her face.

"You did it! You did it baby!" they chanted as they held onto her tightly. When she finally pulled away, she turned to Kurt, stopping for a moment. They shared a knowing smile before embracing as well.

"You were brilliant," whispered Kurt quietly. Rachel hugged Blaine as well and then announced that she was ready to leave to go for drinks and a late snack.

Everyone piled into a crowded subway car and rode the short trip to Sardi's. It was a good thing that Rachel's parents were buying, Kurt mused as he looked at his menu. Even Blaine raised his eyebrows at the prices.

They put in their drinks orders, with Rachel never slowing down in the constant stream of excited chatter that had continued relentlessly since they got on the subway.

She finally ran out of steam after a lengthy interrogation of Leroy's (to whom she referred as 'Papa') thoughts about the fourth song she had sung. When she was satisfied she had brought the house down, she allowed Finn to pull her in close for a cuddle and closed her eyes, sighing in contentment. They ate quietly for a minute before Finn spoke up with a new topic of conversation.

"Oh hey, I saw on Facebook that Tina's dating someone now..?"

"Mhmm," Kurt nodded, swallowing his mouthful of soup before elaborating. "His name is Detroit, and I deserve all the credit."

"What happened?" Finn asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. Rachel and Blaine leaned in to listen intently: they hadn't heard the full story on this yet either.

"Remember at my show a couple of months ago, the model whose abs Tina kept making comments about?" Rachel and Blaine nodded. "Well, it was so funny, because he – Detroit I mean – saw all of you guys talking to me after the show and he asked a couple of days later who my pretty Asian friend was…so, I set them up."

Rachel clapped.

_Matchmaker, matchmaker__  
><em>_Make me a match_  
><em>Find me a find<em>_  
><em>_Catch me a catch_

_Matchmaker, matchmaker__  
><em>_Look through your book_  
><em>And make me a perfect match!<em>

"Very funny," said Kurt sarcastically as Rachel finished singing.

"It's true though," Blaine argued, turning to face him. "First Kevin and Quinn, now Tina and Detroit. You're on a roll babe."

"One of my many talents," smiled Kurt.

"Good for her," said Finn kindly.

"Agreed – and Detroit's a good guy. I don't know him super well, but he seems nice and he was really helpful for my show … furthermore he's a stunner and his name is Detroit, so I say, go for it Tina."

"Hear, hear," laughed the Berrys.

"Oh! Kurt, how'd your sketches turn out?" Blaine asked.

"Well apart from having to rush them, I think they turned out really great. We'll see what Zeb says on Monday…" Kurt finished uncertainly.

At that moment Kurt's phone buzzed. He apologized quickly, before checking to see who had sent the text.

Zeb:_Loved your sketches Kurt. Def want to use the look in the show. Be at the office tmrw at 12. Thx._

Kurt stared at his phone. Tomorrow Finn, Rachel, Blaine and Kurt were supposed to be getting together with Mercedes and Tina for lunch after the Berrys flight left.

"What is it?" Blaine asked, glancing sideways at him. Kurt chewed on his bottom lip.

"It's Zeb…"

"What?" Nonplussed, Blaine looked at his watch. "Now? It's like, 11:30 at night, and you don't see him again 'til Monday. What does he want?"

"He wants me to come in tomorrow. He liked the sketches and I think he wants me to start construction on the pieces…"

"But tomorrow, aren't we supposed to be hanging out all together with Tina and Mercedes since they couldn't come tonight?" Finn asked, frowning. Rachel looked pointedly at Kurt.

"Kurt! We are celebrating _me, _and my triumphant premier on Broadway, this weekend; doesn't your boss understand that?" Kurt's face reddened.

"I know, I know … But the show I'm designing a look for is next month, and I _need_ to stay on his good side … But then I _want_ to go with you guys: I haven't seen you since June, Finn … Crap …" Blaine pursed his lips, hesitating only briefly before commenting.

"I think he's being really unfair in his expectations of you, Kurt." As expected, Kurt closed his eyes in frustration.

"Fashion's a virtual bloodbath. I know he's…demanding…but what am I supposed to do?" He sat in his chair, tense and silent, for a moment. "Maybe I can go in really early tomorrow morning or something, and get out of there in time to meet you guys for lunch?"

The three friends nodded.

Kurt:_I'm so glad you liked the sketches. I'm eager to get to work! I have to be somewhere tomorrow afternoon, a family thing, so I was wondering if maybe I could come in and work in the early morning tomorrow instead…since it will be Saturday and all._

Kurt could hear the sigh in Zeb's voice as he read the return text a moment later.

Zeb:_Priorities Kurt, priorities. I'm sure your family understands you need to work. But yes, come in at 8 and we'll work from there._

Kurt:_Great. Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow morning._

"I'll try really hard to get away in time for lunch," Kurt said, a pained look on his face.

"We'll see you there," Blaine reassured him, rubbing his shoulder. "You just focus on work, okay? I'm sure you'll make those outfits totally fierce."

"As if there was any doubt," Kurt smirked, before rubbing his eyes. "We'd better go if I have to be there by 8 … with my moisturizing routine and travel I'm barely going to sleep tonight."

They said their goodbyes rather hastily to Rachel, Finn and the Berrys after that. Uncharacteristically, Kurt fell asleep on Blaine's shoulder on the subway ride home. _Wow, he _must _be really tired to be able to sleep through this ruckus,_thought Blaine as a group of drunken teenagers boarded the train, singing both loudly and off-key. Blaine wasn't at all sure he was looking forward to another nine months of Kurt's internship.

* * *

><p>By the time Blaine woke up the next morning, Kurt had already gone to work. He rolled over to look at the clock in their bedroom and noticed a note on the nightstand.<p>

_Blaine,_

_Good morning sweetheart. I couldn't sleep so I had some time this morning to get a few things done around the house before I went to work. I think you'll like what I left for you in the kitchenette. I'm really sorry my internship is eating my life already. I miss you baby. You must be just as busy I as I am but you seem to be handling it better – I'll figure out some kind of balance thing eventually.__Anyway, I love you a lot and I'll see you later today._

_Love,_  
><em>Kurt<em>

Blaine smiled down at the note. Yes, he was concerned about Kurt not sleeping, but that happened fairly often when he was excited or stressed about something. Kurt had been a poor sleeper his whole life and it had taken Blaine a while to get used to Kurt being up at odd hours when they first moved in together. He got out of bed and wandered into the kitchenette.

He grinned when he saw a plateful of pumpkin and spice muffins on the countertop. He popped one sweet-savory morsel into his mouth, his heart swelling at his boyfriend's thoughtfulness. Even as he was running around crazy, Kurt still found the time to make Blaine feel special. Blaine finished working on some briefings for one of his classes before settling in on the couch with a headset to play a little Xbox Live with David and Wes.

Meanwhile, Kurt was across town hand-stitching a pair of linen trousers at Marque Designs. Zeb showed up a little after ten and checked in on Kurt.

"Well, at least _someone_ came in to do actual _work_ today," he said, smiling at Kurt before throwing a glare at his assistant, who was running behind him with a stack of papers haphazardly clutched in his hands.

Kurt looked at the assistant sympathetically before returning to his work. If he could just finish the basic construction of the pants and vest, he could leave. Unfortunately for Kurt, rushing with needles usually meant his coordination skills failed him, and he ended up making more than one trip to the bathroom to wash blood from his hand after sticking himself with the needle.

Three hours later, Kurt was out of breath and on the subway. He'd barely managed to shake off Zeb, who apparently loved what he had worked on so far, but was reluctant not to have him finish then and there. When Kurt was finally walking out of the door, however, Zeb called him back and gave him a gift certificate for dinner at a fancy restaurant in the Village, as a 'thank you' for his dedication. Kurt had tried to decline, as interns weren't really supposed to accept gifts, but after having experienced Zeb's insistence once before – regarding the limo back in July – Kurt accepted, planning to take Blaine out before midterms started next month.

Rachel, Finn, Mercedes, Blaine and Tina were already waiting for him outside of the bistro when he arrived. Mercedes and Tina got the play-by-play of Spring Awakening from Rachel, as both had had to work opening night and wouldn't be seeing it until the following week. Despite everyone's attempts at group conversation, by the time their sandwiches were brought out the six had split off into smaller conversations.

"Have you written anything lately?" Tina asked Rachel, causing the singer's eyes to light up.

"Yes. I'm working on a new original song called Starburst."

"Starburst?" Tina echoed, stopping midway through a bite of her pickle. "Like the candy?" Rachel laughed and shook her head.

"No, no…Starburst, as in diverging points of light. You know, since my own star is now shooting towards the heavens …"

Tina kept her mouth shut and smiled politely. Everybody at the table knew that Rachel's original songs were usually a big hit or a complete miss.

"How's your writing going, Miss Tina Cohen-Chang?"

"It's really good actually. I think we'll be ready to publish by Halloween, which is perfect because a lot of it's pretty gothic in theme."

"Ooh, sounds spooky," grinned Rachel.

"Oh, Blaine, I almost forgot to tell you! Guess who I ran in to at a meeting for work last week?" Kurt asked.

"Who?"

"Your friend Amber!"

"Amber? What was she doing there?"

"She's doing a fashion journalism internship for Harpers Bazaar."

"Oh, that's great!" Blaine beamed. "I've been meaning to call her. We've barely spoken since graduation, but she was out of the country for most of the summer."

"She misses you too. Totally awkward moment though – she blurted out right in front of Zeb that she'd seen me naked before," Kurt admitted, giggling at the memory.

"She did not! Oh my god, did she really?" Blaine asked, turning faintly red.

"She totally did," Kurt assured him, nodding. "And so Zeb gave me the weirdest look and I had to quickly explain the Montana Incident – and, well, wasn't that embarrassing? – but he just laughed it off, so I guess it wasn't a big deal. She was mortified that he'd heard it, though. Had to thank me later because I managed to have enough restraint not to mention that I'd seen _her_ naked as well – remember, when we came back from that club in your sophomore year, when she'd said she'd be at the library?"

"Yeah, if 'at the library' meant 'in Joey Cartier's jeans' …" answered Blaine with a wince.

Finn and Mercedes looked at each other as the four others gabbed. The two were friends, of course, but they didn't have a lot in common outside of singing, and there were only so many New Directions memories one could bring up at a time.

"How's Jay?" ventured Finn.

"He's great. Graduating this December because he's got enough credits now."

"What's he doing after school?"

"Well, he'll be graduating with his Bachelors in physical therapy and sports administration, so he's trying to get a job doing sports therapy for one of the local schools, or maybe a CUNY."

"That's awesome. I think Puck wants to do something like that if his band doesn't take off soon."

"I'm amazed Puck's managed to stick through college this long," Mercedes admitted, playing with the straw in her glass of water.

"Coach Beiste keeps us pretty much in line. She's just as tough as, if not tougher than she was back when we were at McKinley."

Eventually lunch drew to a close and everyone went their separate ways, with Blaine going to meet his study group, Mercedes heading to her apartment, Tina going to work and Rachel off for another performance. Kurt accompanied Finn back to the airport.

"I'm sorry we didn't really get to hang out at all this trip," said Kurt sheepishly.

"It's cool," Finn shrugged. "We all know you're off saving the world from like, ugly shoes, or something."

"Or something indeed!" Kurt retorted, giving his stepbrother a playful shove. "I'll see you when I come home for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah man, of course. I've got a game the weekend you'll be home, but otherwise I'll be around."

"Ok, good," Kurt nodded as he gave Finn a hug goodbye at the flight gate.

"Love you bro."

"I love you too, Finn."

**Not that you need a reminder, awesome reader, but REVIEWS ARE LOVE.**

**A/N: It is my hope to have the next chapter up by no later than the 15th because I'll be traveling for both Darren Criss Concert and Glee Live and I don't think I'll be able to bring my laptop with me. So after the next chapter it may take until the 24th or so for the next one, so please be patient.**

**Correction: Last chapter I switched back and forth for Gils name, you may or may not have noticed it, but Gil's last name is definitely Abbot, and not Brunner. I have no idea where Brunner even came from…CONTINUITY FAIL. Sorry.**

**Continuity note about travel methods: If you live in NYC or are very familiar with it you may notice the occasional travel discrepancy. My answer to this is it is either a mistake on my part, OR that since this story takes place in the future, when the economy picked up in 2013 they built new subway lines or bus routes. ;)**


	7. Chapter 6, Part 1

**Wow guys, loving the love this story is getting lately. I really appreciate all of the wonderful and kind reviews I've been receiving. Warms my heart *so* much every time I check my email and there is something new from one of ya'll.**

**Here we are, Thanksgiving – Part 1. You'll have to wait a min for part 2 because I'll be traveling the next few days, but there's a lot of fluff _and _smut _and _plot in this chapter to hopefully tide you over.**

**Thank you once again to my fabulous beta! She makes my ramblings more coherent, so go her. Plus, she did a fantastic turn around for the beta'ing of this story which is why you're receiving it so soon. :)**

**I'm excited to report back my thoughts on seeing Darren and then Glee Live. I'm sure it'll be fabulous.**

**Alright Klaine Dearies, on with the chapter.**

"I hate planes…man, how I _hate_ planes…" Tina chanted through closed eyes and gritted teeth.

Kurt kept a firm hold of her hand and rubbed soothing circles onto it with his thumb. They went through this every time Tina flew home, which wasn't terribly often. Her hatred for planes usually extended as far as taking a train all the way from New York City to Columbus. This time, however, she was sick of traveling alone (Kurt and Mercedes loved her, they did, but a 10-plus hour train ride was just not something they could do more than once), and elected to fly out with Kurt, Blaine, Mercedes, Jay, Rachel, David, Quinn and Kevin.

"I know, I know," Kurt said with as much patience as he could muster, "but we're nearly there…like, ten more minutes, seriously."

"Thank goodness." Blaine glanced up from his book at Tina's relieved statement.

"10 more minutes? Wow – that went by fast."

"Maybe for you," Kurt gritted out, narrowing his eyes at Blaine and jerking his head towards Tina. Blaine grimaced apologetically.

"Sorry."

"As a Broadway star, I can't believe I'm still traveling in _coach_," seethed Rachel from the seat behind them.

"Yes, well, when your star power can treat _all_ of us to first class, then you get to ride up there too. You could have flown that way today – you just didn't want to be alone," Kurt sighed.

"Once I pay off my school loans I am never flying coach again," Rachel huffed, glaring at the sleeping older woman in the window seat next to her.

The middle-aged woman smelled strongly of cats, and her head kept lolling onto Rachel's shoulder. Seeing her distress, David had tried to distract his seatmate for the first half of the flight, only to eventually give up in favor of listening to his iPod quietly. Rachel had been a little on edge since the limited run of Spring Awakening had ended, since she had been left unsure whether or not the producers were going to bring it back in the spring. She had signed up for spring classes at Julliard, but it was obvious she wanted to get back on stage.

"At least you're going somewhere you _want_ to be, Rachel," snapped Quinn.

Her boyfriend Kevin was also holding her hand, and he gave it a squeeze now. Quinn's father and older sister had guilt her into spending Thanksgiving in Ohio with them, rather than with her mother and stepfather, since she hadn't seen them in over a year. Kevin, who was obviously head over heels for her, had elected to come for emotional support.

Mercedes and Jay were talking quietly in their seats; Mercedes giving her boyfriend another run-through of the names and identifying features of her large extended family. Jay had taken out a notepad and was rapidly scribbling down notes, making him seem even more adorable. Blaine, who remembered meeting and trying to remember Mercedes' huge family one summer at a barbeque, thought this was an extremely good idea. He had no idea to this day how Kurt had effortlessly rattled off the names of dozens of Mercedes' second and third cousins as they wandered around her large backyard.

The pilot announced that they were beginning their descent, and everyone sighed in relief.

Once on the ground, they exited the plane and made their way en masse over to baggage claim. Kurt noticed that a plane from Dulles was also having their luggage deposited at the same time and he looked around. A moment later he spied Lauren and Puck waiting for Lauren's suitcase at the adjacent belt.

Puck spotted Kurt and ran over to him, picking him up and spinning him around, with Blaine and Lauren exchanging eye rolls and giggles. Kurt shrieked to be put down, but returned Puck's hug when his feet were once more on solid ground.

"How'd you even get in here? With the new security measures, no-one but passengers can come to baggage claim anymore…" Kurt frowned.

"Dude, do you seriously doubt the Puckasauras? It was child's play, and I didn't want to wait to see my leading lady."

"This week," muttered Lauren as she eyed Puck carefully. The two had been on-again, off-again since high school. The distance had been hard for both of them, and each had dated other people, but when they were both home at the same time, very little could keep them apart.

"Do you know when Artie and Sam are coming in?" Tina asked hopefully. "Or Brittany and Mike?" Puck shook his head.

"I dunno – I talked to Mike a couple days ago and he said they were coming today, but I haven't seen any planes from LA or Chicago come in."

"I'm pretty sure they're on the same flight as Wes, so I don't think they'll get here until late tonight," interjected Blaine.

"What about Santana?" inquired Quinn as they made their way towards the airport exit.

"It's the same as I told you at home," Mercedes replied. "She still isn't sure if she's coming."

"Well, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so she'd better make up her mind soon."

"Yeah, but she's the only manager so it's hard to get time off."

"Where does Santana work?" asked David.

"She runs a gay bar in Boston. She started as a bartender there a couple years ago and became the manager a few months ago after the old one broke up with the owner," answered Mercedes.

"Well I guess we'll all find out eventually, since all of you have been invited to my fabulous party on the evening of the 28th," chirped Rachel, typing out a 'where are you!' text to Finn. "The invitations to which _some_ of you still haven't responded on Facebook," she scolded.

With promises to come to Rachel's party, Lauren and Puck left. David's girlfriend Angela turned up a moment later and he was gone as well. Kevin and Quinn then picked up the rental car Quinn's father had arranged for them, leaving the last six waiting for their rides.

Finn and Dave arrived at the pick-up point right behind one another. Liam, who had arrived the Friday before for Dave's and his two year anniversary, also got out of the car to say hello. Finn exited his car with a flustered look on his face, muttering about construction, but smiled as Rachel pulled him into a hug. When she released him he hugged his brother and greeted the others happily. As they were all headed for Finn and Kurt's house, it didn't matter who traveled with whom, so Finn, Rachel, Mercedes and Jay piled into Finns car. They left while Dave and Blaine were still loading up the back of Dave's car with Blaine, Kurt and Tina's luggage.

"Hey, is it cool if I go with you guys on Friday?" Dave asked of Blaine.

"To the game…? Aren't you _in_the game?" Blaine questioned, thoroughly confused. Dave blinked at him as though he were on crack.

"No…not to the OSU game. To go shopping. Black Friday?"

"Oh!" Blaine laughed. "Oh, of course. I didn't think that was really your thing, though."

"It isn't, but Liam wants the new iPod for Christmas and I think my only chance to get it is then."

"Nice. Well yeah, come along – but I gotta warn you, shopping with Kurt and the girls is…intense. Especially at 4:30 in the morning." Dave smiled.

"I'll wear my shoulder pads." He got into the driver's seat and started the car.

Tina, who had calmed down dramatically after they had touched down, now looked thoroughly exhausted from her harrowing experience, and quickly fell asleep.

"What's new, Liam?" Kurt asked politely. Liam turned his head in the front seat to answer Kurt.

"Not a lot. Glad it's senior year. I don't know why, but this year is cake compared to last year. That's why I didn't feel bad at all about blowing off classes on Monday or yesterday. None of them even take attendance."

"Lucky," responded Kurt as his phone buzzed in his pants pocket.

"That we are," cooed Dave sweetly. Blaine made a retching sound.

"Yeesh, and people say _we're_ nauseatingly cute," he commented.

Blaine looked over at Kurt, expecting a witty quip, but Kurt was engrossed in his phone, his fingers flying across the tiny keypad.

"…Zeb?" he ventured. Kurt sighed.

"Yes. He wants me to come back on Saturday instead of Monday." Kurt looked up and caught the look on Blaine's face. "I told him no, of course," he added quickly. Blaine barely hid his annoyance.

"The nerve of that guy! He kept you there 'til three in the morning yesterday, knowing you had to fly out this morning."

Kurt shrugged his shoulders. He had resorted to using concealer this morning to try to do damage control on the bags under his eyes.

"The spring coats had to go out by Friday...we were all there 'til three am." Kurt pressed send on the email he had been writing, offering a strategy on how to tackle the threading issue on the vests they had been working on. "There, now I'm all yours." Blaine's features relaxed.

"Good."

"Dave, did you tell them about Jerome?" Liam asked.

"Oh! No, I didn't."

"What's up with Jerome?" Kurt and Blaine anxiously said together.

"Last week…he, he got in a fight with Azimio…at school."

"Like a fight, fight?"

"Yeah. I don't know exactly what happened – as far as I knew Azimio hadn't even been talking to him – but I guess they were arguing about Jerome calling some guy too much at home, and in the middle of the lunchroom Azimio just starts pushing him."

"Jesus. Is he alright?" Blaine asked concernedly.

"Yeah. Luckily he's almost as big as Azimio. Emma stepped in right before it turned from shoving to more and got Jerome out of there. Azimio is on unpaid suspension from McKinley and Azimio's parents – Jerome's guardians – got hauled in to talk to Figgins about it."

"They weren't happy about what happened," Dave continued, "but they didn't stand up for Jerome…like, at all. He called me that night; he was so upset. He and Emma talked about him possibly going to stay with another aunt and uncle, but the kid's been passed around enough with all of his parents' issues."

"That's terrible," spat Kurt.

"Yeah. I guess Azimio might move out instead, since he is 22 now, but being an assistant football coach at a high school doesn't pay all that well, and now that he's suspended, I don't know what will happen."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Yeah, is there?" seconded Blaine.

"I don't know. I keep asking Emma about what more we should do but there's all kinds of laws and rules and ethics stuff, so she can't tell me much about it, and Jerome doesn't want me to think he's 'weak,' which is stupid but I do totally get it. I'm just glad he's a senior now and can hopefully get the hell out of there come next fall."

"Definitely," agreed Liam.

The entire car sat in silence for a moment as they each silently thanked their own relatively stable, if not perfect, families.

* * *

><p>Both Kurt and Blaine took advantage of their break and slept in on Thanksgiving morning. They weren't scheduled to be at the Andersons' until 3pm. Blaine's grandparents were coming in for Thanksgiving this year, a rare occurrence, and Blaine had flat-out told his father that if he wanted Blaine there then Kurt and his family were coming too.<p>

Blaine's parents tolerated Blaine's homosexuality. He knew they weren't and would never be 100% ok with it, but as uninvolved in his life as they were, they had assured him that he was still their son and that they loved him. His father's parents, on the other hand, were rather openly homophobic. Blaine's dad had tried to keep his son's sexuality a secret from his grandparents for years, to avoid 'unnecessary' discontent with the family, but Blaine had come out to them the night before his high school graduation anyway. His grandmother had burst into tears and his grandfather had told him he should be ashamed of himself for breaking their hearts. Mostly they kept quiet about it, but the way they looked at Blaine had forever changed, and snide remarks about him, his manliness, and his future had peppered their conversations over the years.

It had gotten slightly better with time, but Blaine had had enough of their pretending Kurt didn't exist and his parents' enabling of this behavior. Blaine had taken advantage of his extended time alone at home, now that Kurt was working so much, to have a lengthy argument with his parents over speakerphone, making the case that Kurt and his family were just as much, if not more, a part of Blaine's family as his grandparents, and reminding them that Thanksgiving was about being with family. They had eventually relented, as the only other option was not to have Blaine there at all. Blaine hoped his grandparents would not say anything hurtful while Kurt and his parents were there, and he felt rather selfish for putting them in the situation in the first place, but he didn't think he could get through another dinner alone.

Blaine had hoped Finn would be there too, as he thought his grandparents might benefit from seeing Kurt's accepting brother, but Finn had already promised Rachel he would spend Thanksgiving at her house with her dads. However, the Berrys, Rachel, Finn, Carole, Burt, Blaine and Kurt had all made plans to have dessert together at the Hudson-Hummel home in the evening.

Blaine forced his eyes open, yawning. He reached under his pillow and pulled out his cell, finding the time to be 10:14am. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he got up and made his way to the bathroom. By the time he returned, he had woken up enough to remember that they were alone in the house. Burt and Carole were spending the morning visiting some of Carole's family, and Finn had been recruited to help with the Berrys Thanksgiving festivities early in the morning.

A small smile spread across Blaine's lips as he looked at Kurt sleeping peacefully. Kurt had been working so hard, and while the gifts Zeb Marque presented Kurt with every so often were nice and all, Kurt was incredibly stressed out all the time. Blaine was stressed himself – after all, his exams _were_ coming up – but it was different to be awake with law flash cards at home at 2am than hand-stitching a gown across town at that time.

Kurt rolled over just then, his eyes flickering open.

"Hey," he mumbled groggily.

"Hey," answered Blaine. "I'm going to make some coffee." Kurt grinned.

"My hero."

Blaine laughed before heading out of the bedroom door and trudging downstairs. Kurt took out his phone and blearily looked at the three messages waiting for him.

He typed out a quick response to Zeb's text about possible models for an upcoming show, made a note to email Gil soon, and laughed at the picture Mercedes had sent him of Jay and her with about 11 of her relatives, all squeezed onto one couch in her living room.

Kurt stretched luxuriously and got of bed. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and to wash and moisturize his face. He was happy to see that the persistent bags under his eyes had faded a bit after his good night of sleep.

Just as he was finishing up, Blaine walked back into the bedroom with two steaming mugs. Kurt kissed his cheek and happily took the cup Blaine offered to him.

"Mmm…I love coffee," he sighed happily after several sips. Blaine rolled his eyes.

"I had no idea."

Kurt pouted at him with a feigned 'oh I'm so hurt' face and Blaine set down his mug. He closed the distance between them to deliver a long kiss to Kurt's lips.

Kurt smiled into the kiss and set down his own mug before wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck.

Blaine broke the kiss and grinned happily up at Kurt, before reaching under Kurt's legs and pulling him up until he was cradled in Blaine's arms.

Kurt giggled madly as Blaine carried him the few feet to their bed.

"Someone's feeling confident this morning, hmm?"

Blaine nodded and leaned forward, letting go of Kurt when he was a few inches away from the bed so that he landed with a soft _whoosh_.

Kurt laughed harder and reached up to pull Blaine down with him. Blaine fell forward onto the bed as well and kissed Kurt in between his own giggles as they rolled around on the bed together, both finding themselves more relaxed than they had been in ages.

At some point, the kisses grew harder and more insistent, as Kurt's tongue ran along Blaine's bottom lip once and Blaine parted his lips slightly to grant him entrance. Blaine ran his tongue along Kurt's as his hands dove under the fabric of his lover's pajama top, feeling the sinewy smoothness of Kurt's back. Kurt delved hungrily into Blaine's coffee-flavored mouth from his position on top of Blaine. He let Blaine flip them over once more and they both came up for air.

Blaine took a moment to look at Kurt; _really_ look at him; soaking up the features that were so very familiar, yet seemed to reveal something new and wonderful each time he set his gaze upon them for an extended period of time. Today, the sun was shining brightly; illuminating both the otherwise unlit bedroom and the features of Kurt's beautiful face.

Kurt wrinkled his nose at Blaine uncomfortably.

"What are you looking at? I know my hair must look crazy right now." Blaine bent his neck forward to kiss each of Kurt's temples.

"What am I looking at? Only the most gorgeous man on Earth."

A slight blush rose high in Kurt's cheekbones.

"I love you, Blaine."

"I love you too, Kurt."

With that admission, Kurt reached up under Blaine's shirt and pulled it up and off of him.

"God, why do we even wear clothes to bed?" Blaine groaned, as he pulled off Kurt's top and tugged down his pajama bottoms and silvery green boxer briefs.

"I'm not getting caught naked in the middle of the night if there's a fire!" Kurt exclaimed, somewhat seriously, before tilting his head up to the crook of Blaine's neck, kissing, licking and sucking on the tender area. "At least, not intentionally…" he corrected, remembering all the times post-sex when they had indeed fallen asleep nude.

Blaine shushed him.

"No more talking unless it's 'yes,' 'Blaine,' 'more,' or 'harder,'" he instructed, his voice low and gravelly.

"What about 'fuck'?" Blaine smiled in spite of himself.

"That is my – oh my God, I love your mouth – my intention."

Blaine pressed their chests together, loving the feel of Kurt's heart pounding under his own. He steadied himself on Kurt's arms and ground his hips into Kurt's, causing Kurt to moan against his neck, which in turn sent vibrations coursing through him. Searching for more friction, Kurt arched his back up and into Blaine as Blaine rubbed against him, their cocks sliding together roughly. Kurt's tongue slid over a particularly sensitive spot just below the lobe of Blaine's ear and Blaine pulled back. Kurt was going to have him coming _way_ too soon if he kept that up.

He pressed his lips once to Kurt's red pout, before shifting down the bed so he was below Kurt rather than straddling him.

Kurt squirmed and bit his lower lip as he felt Blaine lift up one of his legs and plant wet kisses to the back of his knee.

"Oh, God, Blaine," he choked out.

Blaine lightly kissed the delicate skin of Kurt's upper leg, making his way up to his inner thigh. His touch was so light it was almost unclear whether or not he actually made contact with Kurt's skin, but Kurt could feel the sensation in every part of his being.

When his mouth finally reached Kurt's cock, Blaine dipped his tongue out and ran it across Kurt's balls and perineum, eliciting a sharp intake of breath and another whimper of his name from his fair-skinned lover. Torturously for Kurt, however, Blaine then resumed his delicate kisses along the inner thigh of his other leg.

Kurt's hands groped downward and he cupped Blaine's face in his hands.

"_Please,_" he begged.

Blaine took pity on his boyfriend and grasped his shaft with one hand, his other petting the inside of Kurt's thigh. He lowered his lips over the head of Kurt's cock and swirled his tongue around it, before easing into his mouth.

"Guh, yes, yes," panted Kurt as his hands moved to tangle themselves in Blaine's curls.

Blaine bobbed his head up and down, sucking hard. A light flush spread over Kurt's body, darkest at his neck but still visible halfway down his chest. Blaine could feel Kurt tense around him as he held back from thrusting into Blaine's mouth.

Blaine pushed himself onto his knees so he was several inches higher up now, releasing Kurt from his mouth with a wet pop.

He pushed his hands under Kurt's hips and squeezed his ass.

"It's okay – go ahead and thrust."

Kurt sighed dramatically.

"Thank God."

Blaine took Kurt into his mouth again, although not as deeply as before, and let Kurt rock into him. It still wasn't as hard as Kurt would be thrusting if this were Blaine's _other_ hole, but God, it felt good to Kurt. Blaine kept his death grip on Kurt's ass as Kurt moaned and panted above him.

As Blaine sucked particularly hard along a vein on Kurt's dick Kurt abruptly stopped thrusting all together.

Blaine released him once more and gazed up at his boyfriend's half-lidded eyes.

"Now. Want you inside me, now," Kurt commanded. Blaine groaned.

"The lube and stuff is still in my overnight bag…which means I have to get up," he grumbled.

Kurt's legs were still trembling.

"Mmfph, just go get it!"

Blaine swiped his tongue against Kurt's shaft one last time and bounded off of the bed to dig around in his overnight bag.

"Eureka," he cried, holding up a bottle of lube and a purple condom.

Kurt had taken the opportunity to position a few pillows under his hips. He drew his knees up into his chest as Blaine climbed back onto the bed, rolled on the condom and applied lube liberally to his right hand.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Kurt whined under his breath, as Blaine teased his opening with a slick finger before slowly pushing in.

When Kurt was fully stretched, Blaine slicked up his cock with more lube and spread Kurt's legs wide, resting his ankles on Blaine's own shoulders.

"_Kurt_," he moaned as he entered. "How are you so flexible?"

"It's a gift," Kurt muttered haughtily. He opened his mouth to continue but his words were lost as Blaine's angle changed, and his cock made contact with Kurt's prostate.

"_Ungh, God, do that again_," pleaded Kurt, his voice high and breathy. "Harder …"

Blaine pulled back before thrusting again into Kurt with a little more force.

"Yes, yes, right there …"

They quickly found their rhythm. Blaine was panting too hard for any real sound to come out, but Kurt babbled rapidly, little half-words and curses that drove Blaine crazy in the best way possible.

Just as Kurt's legs were starting to feel strained from their taut position, he felt the familiar coiling sensation start to build in his lower abdomen.

"Blaine, Blaine, oh my God I'm so _close_," he whined.

Blaine thrust a little faster and reached between them to stroke at Kurt's dick.

That was all it took for Kurt to come hot and hard over Blaine's hand, the contractions of his orgasm sending Blaine into oblivion as well.

They lay together; basking in the afterglow for a moment, before Blaine slowly pulled out of a slightly sore Kurt and disposed of the condom. Kurt just lay spread-eagled on the bed, sighing contently.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Kurt. We should shower though, so we can get ready to go to my parents' house."

Kurt didn't know why he found that statement so funny, but he found himself giggling like mad as Blaine picked him up bridal style once more, carrying him into the en-suite bathroom.

What he did know was that he _loved_ being on vacation.

* * *

><p>Burt and Carole returned just as Blaine and Kurt were finishing getting ready. Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best…well, everyone apart from Kurt, who had reluctantly talked himself into wearing something a little more conservative than his normal taste to meet Blaine's grandparents for the first time. Blaine still thought Kurt looked rather dashing in his black dress pants, plum button down and forest green skinny tie.<p>

Kurt felt similarly about his boyfriend, who was wearing light grey dress pants, a white shirt and a blue and purple plaid tie. Blaine smiled lovingly at his boyfriend as Kurt adjusted his tie for him.

"Are you two ready to go?" Carole called from the living room.

"Just a minute," yelled Kurt as he stepped away from Blaine, nodding before declaring him presentable.

Blaine stopped Kurt as he made his way to the door.

"What is it, B? We gotta go," Kurt reminded him, his hand already on the doorknob.

"Thank you for coming with me." Blaine looked down at the floor; nervousness that hadn't been there until it was time to leave had now crept in his bones.

Kurt cupped Blaine's chin in his hand and eased Blaine's head up so that their eyes met. His heart sank as he saw shame, fear and anxiety flickering in Blaine's otherwise beautiful eyes.

"Hey," he admonished softly, "it's going to be fine. The Hummels can handle ourselves. Are you okay?"

"Yeah…yeah, I just…I don't want them to say anything rude and…I just feel selfish because I just didn't wanna do this alone again." Kurt was one of the few people around whom Blaine felt comfortable allowing himself to be vulnerable.

"Babe, we're a team. I have your back and you have mine. Plus, this is probably the first of many…er, celebrations, with the extended Anderson clan, right? So we might as well just go." He took Blaine's hand in his. "Come on," he continued. "The faster we go the faster we get to come back here and have some of that delicious pie Carole and I made."

Blaine gave Kurt's hand a squeeze as he let him pull him along and down the stairs.

"Okay."

They passed by the aforementioned pies as they crossed the kitchen on their way to the garage, and Blaine grinned, his mood lifting slightly.

"I'm going to have some of _everything_!"

"Between you and Finn, that's why we made four," commented Carole. "We figured one for each of you, and the other two between Burt, me, Kurt, Rachel and the Berrys."

"Alright, let's get this show on the road," directed Burt over the boys' laughter.

The four piled in the car and made their way down the highway to the Anderson home, the ride passing quickly with easy conversation and laughter filling the car.

When they arrived seemingly suddenly at their destination, Burt parked his car behind the shiny black Lexus belonging to Blaine's grandparents. They walked up the stone path through the front yard, and Blaine opened the door.

"Mom? Dad? We're here…" Blaine announced as they entered the foyer of the expansive house.

A slightly harassed-looking Perla Anderson entered the foyer as Blaine took everyone's coats and hung them up in the hall closet. She quickly recovered and plastered a smile onto her face.

"Hello everyone. Blaine, take Kurt and his parents into the living room. Your father and his parents are in there already. Dinner will be served shortly."

"Do you need any help?" Carole offered kindly.

Mrs. Anderson's eyes widened slightly. Blaine knew it was because his mother actually _cooked_ very little of their Thanksgiving dinner, and had most of it catered secretly. Well, 'secret,' insofar as the rest of the family knew, but no-one commented and simply all went along with the charade.

"Oh no, thank- thank you Carole, but I have everything under control." She turned in her conservative Prada shoes and hurried off to the kitchen.

_Some greeting for your kid you haven't seen since June_, thought Kurt somewhat bitterly, as Blaine led them all into the living room.

"Blaine, what on Earth did you do to your hair?" questioned a short, stout woman wearing a navy pantsuit and glittering diamonds the moment the four entered the room.

"You look like a hippy," observed an equally short man, dressed in an oddly-fitting beige tweed suit.

"Nice to see you too, Grandmother; Grandfather," nodded Blaine curtly. After high school, Blaine had let Kurt convince him that all he needed was a curl-defining mousse for his hair, rather than trying to clamp it down to his head with gel. Normally he would still 'fix' it for formal family events but he hadn't even brought gel with him this trip, only half-accidentally.

The elder Mrs. Anderson pursed her lips, but refrained from comment, instead focusing her attention on the three people standing awkwardly behind Blaine. She rose from the loveseat, followed quickly by her husband.

Kurt stepped forward, taking a deep breath.

"Grandmother; Grandfather, this is my boyfriend, Kurt. Kurt this is my grandmother Evelyn Anderson, and my grandfather Marcus Anderson."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson." Smiling hopefully, Kurt held out his hand, but neither adult took it. He let his arm swing to his side with a small cough.

"And these are Kurt's parents – his father Burt Hummel and his stepmother Carole Hudson-Hummel." Blaine's grandmother raised her eyebrows slightly at the word 'stepmother,' but thankfully kept her thoughts to herself.

"Mr. Hummel," greeted the elder Mr. Anderson stiffly.

Burt hesitated before accepting the offered handshake, but at a warning glance from Kurt, grasped the older man's hand briefly.

"Just call me Burt."

"Well, this is a lovely Thanksgiving Day isn't it?" Carole interjected, her voice slightly shrill as she tried to break the tension. Blaine's father rose from his seat in a nearby armchair and spoke for the first time.

"Yes. Why don't we sit down while Perla finishes with dinner?"

Blaine looked relieved. The four glanced around the heavily furnished room as Blaine's grandparents sat back down on the loveseat and his father returned to the armchair. Burt took the armchair's twin, leaving Carole, Kurt and Blaine to the couch, with Kurt and Blaine sitting several inches further apart than was normal for them.

Carole, ever the resilient one, took another stab at conversation.

"That's a lovely brooch, Mrs. Anderson," she tried. Evelyn Anderson surveyed Carole for a moment.

"Thank you… Your necklace is very, um … interesting." Carole let the tone slide.

"Thank you! It was a gift from my other son, Finn, for my birthday this year." The room fell into awkward silence once more. Kurt nudged Blaine gently.

"Hon- Blaine," he corrected himself quickly, "why don't you tell your grandparents about the classes you're taking this semester?"

Blaine looked bewildered for a moment, as if he had temporarily forgotten he even went to law school. He cleared his throat.

"Oh, yeah. Well, the semester has been tough, that's for sure…" he started.

"It's supposed to be tough; it's law school," his dad piped up.

"Right," Blaine laughed nervously. "Well, indeed it is, but I'm enjoying my classes a lot. My Constitutional Law class I like in particular. We've gotten to read some very interesting cases."

The elder Mr. Anderson made a noise in his throat that sounded a lot like 'activist judges' to Kurt. Not a moment too soon, Perla Anderson popped her head through the open door and announced that dinner was served.

The long table in the formal dining room was ornately decorated for the occasion. Everyone slowly took their seats, with the senior Andersons sitting at either end of the oak table, in prime positions to watch – and judge – every member of the party. Evelyn Anderson assessed the spread.

"Nice to see we're having _American_ food this time, Perla," she noted coolly.

Blaine tensed at the comment. Several years ago, his mother had made the mistake of including two traditional Filipino dishes, lumpiang sariwa and ukoy – both of which Blaine loved – in their Christmas menu, and since then his grandmother had made some snide remark about how 'American' (or otherwise) his mother's cooking was at any meal she served.

"It does look delicious," praised Carole. She shot her husband a meaningful look, and Burt cleared his throat.

"Yeah, looks really good."

"You're too kind. Shall we say grace?"

Kurt, an atheist, resolutely folded his hands and bowed his head. _For Blaine; you're doing this for Blaine,_ he reminded himself firmly.

Marcus Anderson cleared his throat loudly.

"Lord, we thank you for the food you have provided for our enjoyment this glorious day. We give praise in the highest to our Lord Jesus Christ on this Thanksgiving Day, thankful for all of the gifts you have bestowed upon us. We thank you for bringing our family together today…" He faltered, before recovering somewhat awkwardly. "Along with our guests, Blaine's …_friend,_ Kurt Hummel, and his family. Amen."

Blaine hooked his ankle around Kurt's from where he sat on the opposite side of the table. He caught his lover's eye and mouthed 'I'm sorry,' as Kurt looked up from his faux-praying position.

Kurt smiled softly at him and mouthed, 'I love you' in response.

"Mashed potatoes?" Perla offered Carole.

"Yes, please," said Carole, quickly taking the serving dish.

They ate in silence for a few moments. For the first time in his life, Kurt was glad he had something other to do than speak. Unfortunately for Kurt, Evelyn Anderson finally decided to engage him in conversation seconds after he took a bite of turkey.

"So what is it that you do?"

Kurt chewed for a moment and swallowed before replying.

"Um, I attend the Fashion Institute of Technology, where I'm studying fashion design with a minor in fashion marketing."

At the other end of the table, Marcus grimaced.

"_Of course_."

Burt's head whipped around, distracted from the Buckeyes conversation he had been having with Blaine.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" he demanded, venom lacing his words.

"Nothing," dismissed the Anderson patriarch with a patronizing sneer. Blaine shot his grandfather a disgusted look, coming instantly to his boyfriend's defense.

"Kurt is actually top of his class. His first clothing line debuted last summer, and he was handpicked by Zeb Marque of Marque Designs for an internship this year," he bragged proudly.

Evelyn actually looked temporarily impressed.

"_The _Zeb Marque?"

"Yes. It's definitely been a challenge, balancing work, school and my other priorities," Kurt confirmed, smiling at Blaine, "but I've been learning a lot, and I'm hoping it will help open some doors for me after graduation."

"Yes, I'm sure sewing bonnets and gowns is _very_ challenging," sneered Marcus.

Blaine's eyes flashed quickly between his parents, but it was clear they weren't going to step in. Burt's knife and fork fell onto his plate with a clatter, but it was Kurt who spoke up first.

"Well, not as challenging as finding the most drab and ill-fitting suit in all of Ohio, I'm sure – but it keeps me on my toes," he bit back. Burt smirked proudly as Carole attempted in vain to contain her laughter.

"God, I love you," grinned Blaine, causing the rest of his family to stare at him, aghast.

"I love you too," beamed Kurt.

It was then that Perla decided that yes, dinner was just about finished, and began clearing plates away from the table, trying unsuccessfully to shake off Carole's offer of help.

Burt made an excuse about traffic on the way back to Lima and hurried to retrieve their coats from the foyer. Blaine wrapped his arm protectively around Kurt's waist as they waited, standing stiffly in tense silence along with his father and grandparents in the living room again.

After Burt and Carole had returned and everyone had put their coats back on, Burt, Carole and Kurt offered terse goodbyes to the Anderson clan. Kurt laced his fingers through Blaine's as they turned to leave.

"You're going with them?" Evelyn questioned. Blaine rolled his eyes dramatically and pressed a kiss to Kurt's temple.

"Go on ahead and I'll catch up."

Kurt looked at him unsurely, but Blaine nodded firmly, so with a last glance Burt, Carole and Kurt left the room.

"Of course I'm going with them, Grandmother – where did you think I came from this afternoon?"

"They, they let you two stay together in their home; his _parents_ do?" Blaine sighed.

"Yes. Kurt and I have lived together for over two years. That doesn't just stop when we come back to Lima to visit."

"But, but where do you sleep?" she demanded, wincing as if unsure if she wanted to hear the answer. Blaine offered her a withering look and cocked his eyebrow at her.

"In Kurt's room. In his bed. With him," he told her flatly. "Which isn't all that different from our bed in New York, really – except of course it means we can't have sex as loudly as we'd like …"

His entire family gaped at him in wordless shock, his grandfather's face contorting comically as he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, looking rather like a fish out of water. Chuckling inwardly at his boldness, Blaine turned around without another word and strutted proudly out of his parents' house.

"Let's go eat some pie," he suggested cheerfully, as he clambered into the backseat Burt's car and took Kurt's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. _Well, that was fun_.

**Lovely reader, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Look for part 2, which I will post as soon as I can and will feature a LOT including, Black Friday Shopping, OSU Game, Rachel's Party (Never Have I Ever anyone?) and a few other surprises.**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE and most appreciated by your humble author.**

**Mardie 186 - I hope you had a wonderful time at Glee Live! **

**EleanorthePen - Britney and Santana are not currently together at this present moment in this fic, but their history and future (whether together or separate will be explored in greater detail. Also, I designed Blaine's Thanksgiving outfit on the grey suit he wore in the GQ spread just for you :)**

**Repeat Reviewers - Tjangel, Mardie 186, EleanorthePen, TeamBartie, Marli-slashs fan, blue-peridot, my awesome beta CruorLuna, Peachouille, Tasarhina and anyone else I may have neglected to mention - ya'll are...wonderful. I really appreciate the continued interest and feedback. Much love.**


	8. Chapter 6, Part 2

**The MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL PASSED TONIGHT IN NEW YORK STATE. WHERE I LIVE. I CAN MARRY WHOMEVER I WANT. I AM SO HAPPY. SO HAPPY AND FILLED WITH GLEE. GOING TO GET TRASHED AT A BAR. BUT FIRST – In this Together: Chapter 6, Part 2.**

**Glee Live and Darren Criss were AWESOME. If you're really interested in my reaction to the shows see the obnoxiously long authors note at the bottom, I won't clog up the space here. Let's just say it was phenomenal **_**and**_** the shows along with my time spent wandering around Manhattan definitely provided some inspiration for future scenes/chapters in this story.**

**Whoa mama, I leave for a few days and ya'll go nuts – we're now up to 60+ reviews, 10,000+ views, 100+ favorites and alerts. Thanks everyone, *especially* those who take the time to review! I greatly appreciate everyone's feedback.**

**Warning: This chapter does contain some…angst isn't the right word for it, but there is a confrontation and some nasty offensive words are said. So if that stuff is triggering for you, please skip over it when you notice things heating up in an angry way. Also, I know what you're thinking, and no, it's not that.**

**Also: This chapter got out of control huge so it was cut in half. I'm posting part 2 tonight and will be posting part 3 tomorrow after I receive it back from my wonderful, immensely helpful beta. Also: This chapter isn't as Klaine heavy as usual because EVERYONE FROM GLEE (Almost*) is in it, and hopefully has at least a couple quality lines to say. As people have been responding positively in regards to finding out about what other ND/Glee people are doing in my headcanon I think you will all like this – but if not, don't fret, this fic is still Klaine-Centered at its core. **

"Blaine!" Kurt gently shook his boyfriends shoulder.

Nothing.

"_Blaine!_" Kurt rolled his eyes and glanced at the clock. It was already 4am; they were losing valuable shopping time.

"Rmphf…whaaat?" Blaine whined with his eyes closed.

"Blaine, wake up – it's almost time to go. The girls and Dave are going to be here in twenty minutes. If we're late and I miss out on getting an Italian cotton sweater on sale at J. Crew because of you, so help me…" Kurt warned. Blaine hesitantly forced one eye open.

"Why did I agree to do this again?"

"The same reason you come every year – you love me. And don't for a minute try to pretend you don't love a good buy at Express Men's as much as I do…" Blaine groaned and kicked his feet under the covers.

"_Fine_." He opened his other eye and stared at Kurt in a daze for a moment. Kurt made to open the bedroom door and Blaine stopped him, confused. "Where are you going?"

"Coffee, silly. Now have that beautiful behind of yours dressed and ready go by the time I get back."

"Beautiful behind, huh?" Blaine asked with a lopsided grin. Kurt pursed his lips and rolled his eyes again.

"Awake twelve seconds and already cocky as hell."

"Hey, hey – I have good reason. You like my butt, right?"

"That I do. Just as much as you like mine. Which is still a little pink from your attentions last night, I'll have you know..." Blaine suddenly looked concerned.

"I, I didn't hurt you, did I? You kept begging me to spank you harder…" Kurt cocked his head to the side.

"Kurt Hummel does _not_ beg," he protested, knowing full well that that was _exactly _what had happened the night before. He crossed the room and leaned down, taking Blaine's right hand and placing it on his ass, holding it there.

"Don't worry honeybee, I _loved_ it," he whispered in Blaine's ear. Blaine squeezed his ass and growled, baring his teeth with a lascivious grin. Heat immediately began to spread through him as a memory of the previous night (with Kurt's parents off to the movies with the Berrys and Finn, and Rachel back at her house) flooded his mind. Kurt gave him a quick kiss before turning and skipping out of the room and down the stairs to make coffee.

Twenty minutes later Blaine was up, caffeinated and trying desperately not to fall asleep on Kurt's shoulder as they waited in the living room for Dave – and Kurt's gaggle of women – to arrive.

All of the New Directions' girls, Thad's fiancé Hanna, David's girlfriend Angela, Blaine, Kurt and Dave would be trekking to the mall together in search of the perfect Christmas and Hanukkah gifts, and of course stopping at any unbeatable sales they might happen to stumble upon. As there were twelve of them, the operation was going to require the use of three cars and a lot of patience. Cars filled the street quickly around Kurt and Finn's house, but patience was less plentiful as their guests trickled in between 4:20 and 4:30am. Nobody but Kurt could be trusted to captain this shopping expedition, with Mercedes serving as his second-in-command.

Everyone groggily wandered up the street and assembled in Kurt's driveway, most clutching travel mugs of steaming coffee or tea. Dave quietly spoke to Santana, who looked slightly mutinous as she stole glances at Brittany. No one really knew _what_ had happened between those two. Their relationship had held 'official' status for a while during senior year, but when Brittany had left with Mike the day after graduation, _something_ had gone down that neither girl would talk about – at least not with Kurt or Blaine, nor as far as Kurt could tell, with anyone else. Mercedes held a whistle in her and hand blew it (much to the chagrin of Burt and Carole, and undoubtedly the neighbors as well) to quiet the din of a dozen voices.

"Your attention, _s'il vous plaît_," Kurt called from his post at the end of the driveway.

"Who is Voo, and where can we see him play? I thought we were going shopping? Can I play? I want to play!" whispered Brittany to Lauren excitedly. Lauren just hushed her and directed her attention towards Kurt.

"Lauren, Dave and I are driving – Quinn, Santana and Blaine honey, you're in my car. Tina, Angela and Hanna are with Dave. Lastly, Brittany, Rachel and Mercedes are with Lauren…. We will meet at the mall food court and regroup there." He paused. "_Well_, what are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go! Black Friday 2015 has begun!" Mercedes blew the whistle once more before exchanging air kisses with Kurt and making her way to Lauren's car.

Dave looked slightly startled by Kurt's militant commands, but followed everyone else's leads as they split off into their assigned cars, heading towards the highway that formed the fastest route to the mall.

The small fleet pulled into the mall parking lot just as it opened, following the crowd inside, up the escalator and over to the food court. The mall was abuzz with activity, with groups of giggling tweens, tech savvy college kids, and moms and dads on the prowl for this year's must-have-toy, already making the rounds.

Kurt and Mercedes directed everyone to a large group of tables in the middle of the food court and Kurt pulled out a large stack of paper from his messenger bag, handing half to Mercedes as the two doled sheets out to the rest of the group.

"What're these?" asked Dave, his eyes unable to completely focus on the words in his sleepy state.

"The first page is your group. Kurt and Mercedes divide everyone up into two groups so no one is shopping with someone they might need to buy a specific present for – like Kurt and Blaine don't shop together, and Kurt and Rachel don't shop together because she blabbed to Finn one year about Kurt's gift for him," answered Lauren.

"The second page," Tina continued, "is your list of approved stores based on your assigned group. Everyone has two hours to go to all the stores on their first list, and then you switch and have two hours to get through the stores on your third page. Only go to stores on your approved list so you won't run into anyone you shouldn't and give your gift away."

"Now, if you _do_ spot anyone from a different group at the store you are in: do not make eye contact, do not engage; just keep going. There will be lots of causalities today but our fine asses are not going to be among them," stated Mercedes firmly.

"Precisely, ladies," smiled Kurt approvingly. "And at 9am on the dot, we'll meet back here for breakfast. After that, if you still need to get anything, you're on your own." Dave stared down at his papers blankly, still seemingly unable to concentrate on all of the information he was trying to absorb.

"But … But then what if the store I want to go to is on my second list and they're sold out and - ?" Angela and Hanna rolled their eyes at his rambling.

"You must be new," they commented in unison, effectively cutting him off.

"We thought you were a friend of Kurt's?" Hanna continued with a frown. "Look at your list. Kurt and Mercedes take into account anything you may have mentioned regarding stores or gift ideas, and use that to develop their strategies."

"It's like going shopping with Stacey and Clinton – only infinitely more fabulous," gushed Tina happily.

Dave, who had no idea who Stacey or Clinton were, turned to the second page of his stack, and sure enough the Apple Store was near the top of his list of approved stores for 'round one' of what was sure to be a shopping … extravaganza.

"Come on Davey – you're on my team, and we're going to win!" announced Brittany happily, linking arms with the football player.

"How do we win? _What_ do we win?" he asked her bemusedly. Her whole face lit up in a toothy grin.

"First dibs for sitting on Santa's lap!" she squealed, ignoring his first question. "My team _always_ wins."

"Unfortunately," muttered Kurt under his breath, drawing knowing smiles from those who could hear. "All right – Shop!" And with that, the twelve divided into two groups of six and charged off into the crowds.

* * *

><p>Exhausted, and laden down with dozens of shopping bags, Kurt's group trudged towards the food court once more, more than ready to meet up with Blaine's group and have breakfast. Even Kurt was running out of steam under the weight of his many purchases.<p>

"Hey, Kurt, I have something to tell you…" Quinn began mysteriously, falling into step alongside the fashionista.

Kurt peered over the top of his Best Buy bag, attempting to meet the eyes of Quinn, who was partially shielded behind several Victoria's Secret, Express Men's and Nordstrom bags.

"Hmm? What's up buttercup?"

"Well, last night after dinner-"

"HEY! HEY, **STOP**!" Brittany's voice bellowed, effectively cutting Quinn off. She and Kurt looked ahead in surprise, watching nonplussed as Brittany dropped her bags and took off around the corner.

"What the hell?" Lauren questioned, staring after her. She scooped up Brittany's bags in her strong arms and the five of them hurried off to follow the blonde. Rounding the corner, they too found themselves facing the sight that had led Brittany to abandon her purchases.

She was standing in front of a gift wrapping table in front of someone – or something; it was impossible to tell – with her arms spread out protectively, creating a barrier between whatever she was shielding and a group of young teenagers. She looked livid in a way none of them had ever seen before.

"Go away!" she shrieked at the group. The five teens, all of whom looked to be around fourteen or fifteen, were laughing and pointing.

"Der duh der, what're you going to do about it? Teach us a lesson? Or are you a retard too?" laughed a girl in a puffy pink coat, while pulling a disgusted face.

"She must be a retard; she's friends with one," scoffed a boy in a baseball cap. A very short person with blonde hair stepped out from behind Brittany, frowning.

"Go away, you…you jerks!" she moaned, her voice trembling. Brittany looked like she too was on the verge of tears as she took Becky Jacksons hand in her own.

"Aww, did we make the poor baby retards upset? Are you cwying?" taunted a taller boy, clearly the ringleader of the group, as the others all gathered behind him.

"Oh, _hell_ to the no!" snapped Mercedes, her eyes blazing.

Kurt, Mercedes and Dave all lurched forward, intending to step in, but stopped in their tracks when Santana appeared out of nowhere and pushed past them towards Brittany and Becky.

"_Ay papi_!" seethed Santana, poking the lead boy in the back of the head. He spun around.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, glaring up at her.

"Me? _I_ am Santana Lopez. I grew up in Lima Heights Adjacent, _and_ I'm one fierce-ass dyke. Know what that makes _you_?" she breathed, her voice a deathly calm. She laced her fingers together and raised her hands above her head, cracking her knuckles threateningly, causing the boy's eyes to widen in obvious fear. Santana smirked. "_Toast_ . If you and your little _lenteja_ friends don't remove yourselves from my line of sight. _Now. _I ain't playin', homeboy." She poked him once again, hard, in the chest.

The boy looked over his shoulder at his friends for backup, but they all shook their heads. He spun around again and took off, followed quickly by his group of friends.

"Run! That's right, you _best_ be steppin'!" she yelled after them, smacking her fingertips against her chest.

Blaine and the rest of Santana's group came dashing up the corridor, all obviously out of breath.

"What's happening – we heard someone yell and then Santana took off…?" Blaine asked Kurt urgently. Kurt's gaze turned towards Brittany, who was clutching Santana with tears streaming down her face. Mercedes and Tina approached a shaken-looking Becky and each took one of her hands.

"What happened, Becky?" Mercedes asked gently. Becky sniffed, but to her credit, her voice didn't waver as she spoke.

"My group home is wrapping presents for Christmas," she explained, pausing and glancing at Rachel. "…And Hanukah," she added. Rachel smiled at her warmly, touching her hand to her heart. "And these…kids, they just came up to me, and they were making fun of me, calling me really mean names." Her brow furrowed in anger. "I kept telling them to go away and leave me alone, but they wouldn't. That, that boy with the hat on, he kept trying to take all my wrapping paper."

"Why isn't anyone else here?" asked Blaine angrily, his tone full of the entitlement and authority that several years of rich kid private school could only afford. "Where are the other people from your house?"

"People donate money for us to wrap their presents. Tony and Sarah had to get the money box out of the van because we accidentally forgot it, but I _can_ take care of myself," she informed him pointedly. Blaine's expression softened slightly.

"Of course. Five jerks is a lot for anyone to take on – by themselves, I mean."

"Well, we'll just stay with you until – Tony and Sarah? – 'til Tony and Sarah come back," Tina offered kindly. The others nodded their acquiescence to the plan, all thinking that there was no way they would have done otherwise.

"Okay," Becky agreed quietly.

Brittany, who was still crying quietly, allowed Santana to direct her over to a nearby bench, where she promptly curled up in Santana's lap. Santana rocked her back and forth, whispering in her ear.

Seeking a distraction, Kurt picked up one of the display presents lying on the wrapping booth.

"Did you wrap this, Becky? It looks simply divine," he told her truthfully, admiring the clean lines and pretty silver bow on the blue and silver striped parcel. Becky nodded.

"Mm-hmm. It's not hard; I'll show you how." She then proceeded to instruct them all on the finer points of gift wrapping for a few minutes, until Tony and Sarah returned.

Sarah, a tall Asian woman dressed in a black turtleneck and charcoal dress pants, strode towards them, followed by a young man with red hair who also appeared to have Down's Syndrome. She looked hesitantly at the large group of young adults.

"Are these people your … friends, Becky dear?" she asked, indicating Mercedes, Quinn and the rest of the group. Becky beamed at her and nodded.

"Yup." Kurt shifted uncomfortably and felt himself flush. Truth be told, apart from running into her and her mother at the grocery store a couple of times, he hadn't even seen – let alone contacted – Becky since high school. Hearing her refer to him as her friend warmed his heart almost as much as it broke it. The guilty looks on the rest of their faces (apart from Brittany's, as her face was still buried in Santana's chest) indicated that he was not alone in this feeling.

"How lovely," Sarah smiled. Blaine quickly took her aside, giving her a succinct explanation of what had happened with the teenagers.

"… and Santana got them to back off and go away." Sarah closed her eyes and scowled in frustration.

"Damn ignorant kids! Things seem to get better every year in regards to public interactions with people with disabilities … but unfortunately, every once in a while you do still get –"

"An asshole or two," Blaine finished. Sarah nodded with a small sigh.

"Thank you for stepping in." Blaine pointed her towards Brittany and Santana. Brittany had calmed down noticeably, but was still sitting on the bench next to Santana while the Latina held her hand and gently smoothed her hair.

"Don't thank me. Thank them, it was all those two." Sarah nodded again.

"I will."

Blaine and Sarah rejoined the group just as Quinn and Rachel climbed on top of a spare table behind the gift wrapping booth. They held up a sign advertizing the fundraiser for Becky and Tony's group home and began to sing in a two part harmony.

_Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?  
><em>_In the lane, snow is glistening._

_A beautiful sight,  
><em>_We're happy tonight;  
><em>_Walking in a winter wonderland._

_Gone away is the bluebird;_  
><em>Here to stay is a new bird.<em>  
><em>He sings a love song<em>  
><em>As we go along;<em>  
><em>Walking in a winter wonderland.<em>

_In the meadow we can build a snowman,_  
><em>Then pretend that he is Parson Brown<em>

_He'll say: Are you married?_  
><em>We'll say: No man,<em>  
><em>But you can do the job<em>  
><em>When you're in town.<em>

_Later on, we'll conspire,_  
><em>As we dream by the fire<em>  
><em>To face unafraid,<em>  
><em>The plans that we've made,<em>  
><em>Walking in a winter wonderland.<em>

_In the meadow we can build a snowman,_  
><em>And pretend that he's a circus clown<em>  
><em>We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,<em>  
><em>Until the other kids knock him down.<em>

_When it snows, ain't it thrilling?_  
><em>Though your nose gets a chilling<em>  
><em>We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,<em>  
><em>Walking in a winter wonderland.<em>

A fairly large group of bleary-eyed shoppers had gathered around during Quinn and Rachel's carol, and clapped in appreciation as they finished with a bow.

"Thank you! Thank you! If you enjoyed my performance – which was outstanding, if I do say so myself – follow me, Miss Rachel Berry, recent star on Broadway, on Twitter at StarBerryNY. That's STAR-Berry, _not_Strawberry – people get confused, which is why I don't have as many followers as my talent so obviously demands." Quinn coughed loudly. Rachel blinked at her in surprise, looking as though she'd nearly forgotten Quinn was there. "Right, right…also, my accompaniment, Quinn Fabray, Miss New York 2015," she added.

"_My_Twitter handle is MissQMissNY, and I invite you all to follow me as well, seeing as your own Miss Ohio had to resign after that unfortunate incident last month," Quinn told them, smiling widely and flashing a bit of a pageant wave. Becky and Tony beamed as customers began lining up to have their presents wrapped.

"We can stay and help wrap if you'd like, Bex," Kurt offered.

"It's okay. My other house friends are coming in a little while and I'm not sure you guys can keep up," joked Becky. Kurt laughed.

"All right. We're going to go get some breakfast – do you want anything?" Becky shook her head with a smile of acknowledgement.

"I'm sorry those people were so mean, Becky," Brittany sighed as she walked up to the booth, still clutching Santana's hand tightly.

"People stink sometimes, but not all of them."

"I'll call you on Sunday like normal, as long as Lord Tubbington isn't using my phone to shop online again, okay?"

"Okay Brittany. Bye, and thanks." Becky hugged Brittany tightly, before saying a cheerful goodbye to the rest of the group.

"Can we go sit on Santa's lap now 'Tana?" Brittany pleaded hopefully.

"Yeah. Let's go do that," she agreed, turning to the rest of the group. "We'll meet you guys in a little while, okay?"

As they left, each of them deposited what they could into the donations box. Sarah waved them off with a grateful smile, before squaring her shoulders and facing the long line of shoppers.

Three hours later, after Kurt had deposited the majority of his purchases at Mercedes' house and Blaine had sent his gifts for Kurt home with Tina to hide until Christmas, and after having taken a nice nap to catch up on missed morning sleep, Kurt and Blaine found themselves comfortably soaking in the large tub in Kurt's en-suite bathroom. Being the taller of the two, Kurt lay propped up against the side of the tub with his boyfriend curled onto his lap. They had been sitting in silence for over ten minutes, just enjoying the feel of the warm bath water, Kurt's luxurious bubble bath, and each other. Kurt sighed softly.

* * *

><p>"Well, <em>that <em>was an eventful Black Friday."

"Mm-hmm," Blaine agreed. "I couldn't believe those ridiculous kids, though."

"That was awful. I wonder if they go to McKinley?"

"Who knows? I'm just glad Santana chased them off."

"That part was pretty awesome to watch. I wish I gotten to talk to her more – well, and everyone, really."

"You'll see them tomorrow night at the party though, right?"

"Yes. Although I _did _find out a little something about Quinn during breakfast. It's a secret though, so you have to keep it to yourself, okay?" Blaine tilted his head.

"What is it?" he asked curiously. Kurt squealed loudly, splashing a bit of water around them in his excitement.

"Kevin proposed last night!"

"What?" Blaine exclaimed incredulously. "Oh my God! I just talked to him a few days ago and he didn't mention anything!"

"I was surprised too! They've only been dating since, what … June?" Kurt guessed, furrowing his brow in an effort to remember the details.

"Yeah. Whoa, that's crazy."

"She seemed extremely happy about it, though. She had been really nervous a couple of months back when she told Kevin about Beth, but he was really, really supportive, I guess. I think that convinced her he was the real deal."

"So why is it a secret?" Blaine asked with a frown.

"Oh, it's not _really_– it's just that Quinn and Kev wanted us to know before they make an official group announcement tomorrow night at the party – since we did facilitate the beginnings of their relationship, and all."

"Oh, okay…well, wow," Blaine murmured, oddly touched by the gesture.

"The rock is exceptional, and they're thinking of getting married in the fall of next year."

Blaine's head was spinning a little. First Thad and Hanna, now Quinn and Kevin … marriage fever seemed to be spreading amongst their friends like wildfire. Why weren't he and Kurt engaged? They'd been dating for years, had talked about wanting to get married multiple times, and of course Blaine _did_want to marry Kurt … God, was Kurt expecting a proposal soon? Was he upset that they hadn't gotten engaged yet? Suddenly Blaine felt an immense amount of pressure to express these thoughts.

"Kurt, I –"

"Blaine, honey," Kurt interrupted him, calmly stroking Blaine's arm over the warm bath water. " Relax. We'll get engaged when the time is right for _us_, not because it's what everyone else is doing, or because it's on anybody else's schedule." Blaine let out a jumpy little laugh.

"How do you _do_that?"

"Always the tone of surprise. I could feel your arms and back tensing. And hey, how do you know it won't be _me_ who proposes to _you_ someday?" Blaine turned to face his boyfriend, shifting himself so he was crouching slightly on his knees. He had never really thought about that possibility. Absolutely everyone who had ever mentioned Kurt and him getting engaged at some point had always mentioned it from with a view to Blaine proposing to Kurt, and not the other way around. Now that he thought about it, his mind flashed back to an ancient childhood fantasy of Taylor Hanson (yes, of _Mm-Bop_fame. He figured he could be forgiven – he had been five!) proposing to him, and this new prospect actually sounded really…wonderful.

"I love you so much, Kurt." Kurt smiled and kissed him tenderly.

"I love you too." He pressed his lips against Blaine's once more, faintly tasting hazelnut coffee – probably something to do with the fact that Blaine had consumed about a gallon and a half of it over the course of the morning. Blaine parted his lips a fraction and Kurt took advantage of the moment to slip his tongue into Blaine's warm, coffee-flavored mouth, running it along Blaine's before directing his lover's tongue into his own mouth and sucking on it lightly.

He wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck, pulling him forward. Blaine responded quickly, sliding his own hands under Kurt's arms and around his back, lifting him up so that he was straddling Blaine's hips in the middle of the large tub.

"Rmphf," he groaned against Kurt's mouth, as Kurt's fingers rose from his neck to tangle themselves in his damp hair. The sensation of Kurt's fingertips massaging his scalp always felt better than he anticipated and he could feel himself starting to harden almost immediately in response. His own hands drifted lazily across the planes of Kurt's back before venturing southward to cup his boyfriend's ass and pull him even closer towards his own body.

Kurt rocked his hips into Blaine, breaking their kiss in favor of pressing hard kisses to Blaine's forehead and hairline. Blaine responded in kind, grinding their erections together in the water, nestling his head in the crook of Kurt shoulder as he lightly sucked and nibbled on the porcelain skin there. Kurt bucked harshly into him, as he felt Blaine's thumb rub over his entrance.

"Bed –_guh_– we should move this to the … uh; oh God; bed," gasped Kurt, trying desperately to retain some level of composure, even as he noticed the amount of water they were splashing on his bathroom floor. The two were quite slippery as a result of the water and bubble bath suds, but Blaine settled his hand under Kurt's ass and gripped tightly, allowing Kurt's legs to wrap around his waist. He then pulled them up, holding onto the – thankfully well-built – shower handle for leverage.

"You're so strong," complimented Kurt in breathless amazement.

"Always the tone of surprise," quipped Blaine, grabbing a large, fluffy towel and haphazardly wrapping it around them both, barely drying them off at all as he shuffled into Kurt's room and dropped them rather ungracefully together onto Kurt's bed.

"Brrr," muttered Kurt, shivering as the water cooled on his skin.

"Cold?" asked Blaine. "Well, let's see what we can do to fix that, shall we?" Kurt nodded eagerly, before biting down on his lower lip.

"We have to be quiet, okay? Thank Marc Jacobs for surround sound, but I do _not_want my parents to hear us over that football game."

"Look who's talking," chastised Blaine as he dived forward to suck on one of Kurt's nipples, eliciting a sharp gasp from his boyfriend. Hands roamed everywhere and groped at whatever flesh they could find, although Kurt kept one hand tangled up in Blaine's hair while Blaine alternated between tonguing each of his nipples.

"We're – we're getting the sheets all wet," Kurt mumbled, biting his lip as Blaine's teeth grazed his nipple and a guitar-calloused hand found his straining manhood, beginning to stroke slowly up and down the shaft.

"So? We'd have to change them anyway and right now I just wanna fuck you," Blaine growled, quickening the pace of his strokes. Kurt threw back his head, his whole body feeling like Jell-O.

"Right, yes – oh! – um, oh god, _yes_…." he panted, squirming on the soft sheets of his bed. Blaine shifted himself up and kissed Kurt, hot, wet and hard on his mouth, their lips crashing together urgently.

"I love you, I love you, I love you..." he chanted, gazing adoringly down at Kurt through his long eyelashes.

"Ugnh, I love you too…" gasped Kurt, his words followed by a high, breathy moan. He fumbled to grab a condom and their lube from the nightstand, handing them to Blaine, who grasped them immediately but pulled away from Kurt.

"Could you… uh, can I…? I mean, your ass is just…" Kurt rolled his eyes.

"You want me to roll over so you can look at my ass while you fuck me, hmm?" Blaine looked down at him hopefully; he knew this wasn't the most 'romantic' position for Kurt, but God, it got him off. "You didn't get enough of an eyeful of my ass when you had me over your knee last night?" Kurt teased him, cocking an eyebrow. Blaine shook his head forcefully.

"I could never tire of seeing your ass…" he drifted off. "Or, or your beautiful face! Or your – " he attempted to backpedal hurriedly. Kurt just giggled, tilting his head forward to kiss him.

"It's okay; I know what you meant. Yes, we can do that – all you had to do was ask. My ass _is _pretty amazing."

"Very amazing," agreed Blaine readily, as Kurt rotated below him, ending up in a slightly obscene version of what could have been a 'Downward Dog' yoga position. Blaine took a moment to admire Kurt's figure: the curve of his small but prominent butt; the way his pale skin was impossibly soft there; the way that same skin flushed a gorgeous dark rose in response to any attention. "Hot _damn,_ Kurt, you are dazzling." Blaine grinned gleefully, leaning forward to plant a kiss to the still-damp small of Kurt's back. He slipped the condom on and slicked himself and his fingers up with lube.

He pressed a finger against Kurt's entrance, feeling how his soft skin was still slightly damp and slippery from the bath. Kurt responded to the touch by spreading his legs further apart when Blaine swirled his finger around.

"_Blaine_, please … don't, don't tease me," Kurt whined in frustration, pushing his hips back against Blaine's finger, his voice sounding broken and desperate.

"Now who doesn't beg, hmm?" whispered Blaine, his voice low and husky.

"Damn it, Blaine!" moaned Kurt, clearly trying to sound stern but failing; his voice barely more than a whimper.

"Shh, baby, I'm right here. I've got you," Blaine comforted him, finally pushing his finger into Kurt.

"Ungh, more, more," begged Kurt, and Blaine was more than happy to oblige. He slid his finger out and pushed two back in, stretching Kurt's muscles and curving upwards to stroke his prostate. They had done this so many times that the slight burn of the stretch was easily pushed to the back of Kurt's mind, as Blaine's fingers expertly stimulated his sensitive spot.

After scissoring his fingers until Kurt was fully prepped, Blaine pulled his hand away and hastily wiped it on the sheet. He placed his hands over Kurt's and laced their fingers together, as he lined himself up with Kurt's entrance and pushed slowly inside.

"God, Kurt, _fuck;_ you feel so good," he groaned once he was fully sheathed inside his boyfriend.

"Ah, ah, so full – Jesus, Blaine, don't stop," Kurt whimpered as Blaine started to move, keeping his hands locked with Kurt's as he pushed in and out.

Gradually Blaine increased his pace, thrusting in and out of Kurt, who was mewling desperately with every stroke to his prostate. Kurt pulled one hand down and under his body, so he could stroke his cock with Blaine's hand over his. Blaine instantly got the idea and batted Kurt's hand away, sliding his fisted hand over Kurt's shaft. The sensations were so overwhelming that Kurt had to tug a pillow into his mouth and bite down, in an effort to keep from crying out.

"So close, so fucking close, Kurt," Blaine choked out, as he felt Kurt bare down and clench around him as Blaine jerked him off.

"Me too, me too," breathed Kurt, clawing helplessly with his free hand at the pile of blankets and sheets around them.

Blaine leaned forward to suck hard on the back of Kurt's shoulder blade, pulling the skin into his mouth and catching it between his teeth. Kurt's back arched wildly at the touch, nearly throwing him off balance. Blaine managed not to topple sideways, instead allowing the change in angle to deepen his thrusts into Kurt, the added sensation pushing him over the edge and into his climax. Kurt felt Blaine come inside him, which in turn spurred his own orgasm, his come spilling out onto Blaine's hand.

After taking a moment to calm down, Blaine slid carefully out of Kurt and threw the condom in the general direction of Kurt's bin. Kurt shimmied over to him, curling himself around the slightly shorter man as he kissed his jaw repeatedly and clutched tightly onto his forearm.

"As much as I love being able to see you and kiss you during…that was…wow," he admitted breathlessly. Blaine grinned.

"I do have good ideas on occasion." Kurt huffed.

"I suppose."

They lay together silently for a few moments, Blaine lazily rolling his knuckles up and down Kurt's back. Kurt giggled all of a sudden, breaking the peaceful mood.

"Weren't we supposed to be getting _clean_ in the bath?" Blaine laughed as well.

"It was more fun to get dirty." Kurt shifted his position, the drying come on his stomach beginning to make him uncomfortable.

"Agreed, but now we really do need to shower before we leave to go to OSU." Blaine yawned widely, stretching his arms over his head.

"Wake me up when you get out of the shower?" he requested sleepily.

"Yes, dear," Kurt agreed, "but no lollygagging. It takes two hours to get to OSU."

"Mrmphm," mumbled Blaine, already rolling over into a pillow and falling fast asleep.

Three hours later, Burt pulled his car into the stadium parking lot on the OSU campus and he, Carole, Blaine, Kurt and Rachel piled out onto the tarmac.

"Thank God we're here," grumbled Burt, having quickly tired of Kurt and Rachel's pass-the-time serenade of the entire scores of RENT and Wicked. Blaine had joined in here and there, but had spent the majority of the car ride texting Thad, Wes and David, catching up and giving them directions to Rachel's house for her party the following day.

They bought their tickets and made their way into the stadium, chatting happily amongst themselves as they walked. Kurt waved at Liam, sitting high in the stands with Dave's parents, and also at Lauren who was sitting with Puck's sister and her three little brothers, huddled under a blanket to shield them from the chilly November air.

The game began: OSU versus some school from Pennsylvania. Kurt wasn't really sure he could bring himself to be interested enough to learn or remember their name. He had watched enough of Finn's games to know what was going on, and had even been in a couple himself, of course, but that didn't make him any more interested. Finn, Puck and Dave were all playing well, and Kurt cheered in all the right places, but he was nowhere near as invested in the game as his parents and Blaine, or even Rachel.

"I'm going to get a drink, do you want anything?" Kurt asked Blaine, straining his voice to be heard over the shouts of fans. It was a few seconds before Blaine could tear his attention away from the field to respond.

"What? Oh – oh, um, yes. Hot chocolate please?" Blaine requested with puppy-dog eyes. Kurt smiled and pecked his boyfriend on the cheek.

"Be right back." He carefully made his way down the bleachers, hating every slippery step, and wandered at a leisurely pace down to the concession stand.

"Hi. Can I get a hot chocolate and a coffee please?" he asked, fiddling with his wallet.

"Sure thing, Kurt," replied a vaguely familiar voice. Kurt's head snapped up in surprise.

"Hey! Zoe, right? From McKinley?"

"The one and only," she said brightly.

"What are you doing here?" Zoe glanced quickly over her shoulder before replying.

"My parents are alumni and on the booster squad. I got recruited to work concessions, unfortunately."

"Ah," nodded Kurt, unsure of how to proceed. "How – how're things going with … them?" he asked lamely. She sighed heavily.

"Better, I guess. They've stopped implying I'm a whore at least." Kurt winced. "How's Blaine?" she added, cutting off his thoughts before he could respond.

"He's good. Up in the stands right now."

"Why are you guys here? Don't you live in New York?"

"We're just here for the weekend. My stepbrother plays for OSU," Kurt explained.

"Who's your stepbrother?"

"Finn Hudson, Quarterback. Number 42." Her face lit up with recognition.

"Oh, he's good! He and Dave Karofsky are like the best players on the team. Them and that guy with the Mohawk – number 77." Kurt smiled knowingly.

"That'd be Noah Puckerman. He went to high school with us too." Zoe looked impressed, before she suddenly grimaced, eyeing the line forming behind Kurt.

"It was nice catching up, Kurt. Tell Blaine I said hi! Your total is two dollars."

"Take care, Zoe," replied Kurt, handing her the money and depositing a five dollar bill in her tip jar. He carefully made his way back up into the stands, balancing the two steaming cups delicately, but when he returned Blaine was gone.

"Where's Blaine?" he asked of Rachel concernedly.

"Huh? Oh, I don't know – oh, oh run! Finn! Run!" she shouted excitedly, returning her attention to the game.

"His parents called, Kurt dear," Carole called over to him.

"Oh, okay." Kurt set his Blaine's drinks down on the cold metal bleachers and tried once more to focus on the game. When his own phone began vibrating in his coat pocket several minutes later, Blaine had not returned. He retrieved his cell phone, frowning when he saw the name **Zeb Marque **blinking back up at him. "I'll be right back," he told Carole. "Give Blaine his hot cocoa for me when comes back, okay?"

"Sure thing," she agreed, lifting the cup without breaking her gaze from the game.

The phone vibrated insistently as Kurt all but clambered once more down the bleachers, hurrying out into the parking lot. Once he was satisfied he might actually be able to hear Zeb over the ruckus from the game, he answered the call.

"Hi, Zeb – Happy Thanksgiving!"

"Yes, yes; happy, happy – no time for that now, Kurt: we have an emergency!" Zeb's voice rang out clearly from the handset, urgency in his tone.

"What's going on?"

"Mikela pulled out of the Spring Show and the boots we ordered from Singapore are shit. When can you get back here? I can put you on a plane tonight…"

"Zeb, I – I …" Kurt tried to keep his voice from faltering, but Zeb was intimidating, even over the telephone. "I won't be back until Monday morning. It's really important to my family that I'm here with them." He heard Zeb let out an annoyed sigh.

"Fine. That'll teach me to expect _work_ from_ students_," he sneered.

"What's wrong with the boots?" Kurt asked, hoping a change of subject would allow him an opportunity to be of actual use.

"There is some kind of issue with the adhesive used in the binding of the leather."

"What kind of buckram did they use?"

"You know how to make shoes?" Zeb asked skeptically.

"Of course," replied Kurt proudly. "Not as well as clothes, of course, but…"

"I'll send you the faxes and invoices the supplier has been sending _me_; maybe you can make some sense of it."

"Email them to me; I'll look at them right away."

"I'm impressed. Nice initiative Kurt," Zeb praised him.

"Thank you."

"I'll need those back immediately."

"I'm on it," answered Kurt as the phone clicked and Zeb hung up. A moment later his phone buzzed, alerting him to the arrival of several new emails, but Kurt knew he'd have to wait until he got home to try to decipher the tiny images. Kurt sighed regretfully – he was in for a long night, but at least Zeb hadn't given him too hard of a time about not coming back to New York early. Kurt was feeling constantly torn these days, between wanting to please his boss and his own ambition to be the best designer going … and his desire to please Blaine, and to be _with_ Blaine, both emotionally available and physically present. Nothing he did could seem to make his two worlds meld, and frankly, it was exhausting.

Meanwhile, Blaine was on the other side of the bleachers arguing with his extremely irate parents.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you, Dad, but seriously: Grandmother and Grandfather were totally out of line," he insisted vehemently. "…Yes, well, that isn't going to happen because I'm _not_ sorry. They're rude to everyone; they're even rude to Mom … What do I mean? What do you think I mean? Did you not catch that 'at least we're eating American food this time' line…? _Kurt_ _is_ family. Do you even want to discuss this anymore? Because it seems like we're just going around in circles… Yes, yes, fine. I'll send you the tuition invoice for next semester as soon as it comes in. Bye, Dad." His father handed the phone to his mom, and Blaine bit back a groan as she began to repeat her husband's sentiments.

"Mom, Dad and I already talked about this…" He listened to her complain for several minutes before cutting her off. "_No_ mom, I do not think I will ask Kurt to try to be more 'normal' next time!" he seethed. "Jesus, and here I thought you guys had been making progress about this … Yes, yes, because the only thing that is important is how my being gay affects you and dad…" he grumbled into the phone. "I didn't say you said that – I just said… never mind, I'll talk to you later, okay Mom? I've gotta go, I'm missing Finn's game … Finn, Mom. Kurt's stepbrother? Finn … Yes…the tall one. He plays football for OSU … Bye Mom." With a last withering look at the screen, Blaine hung up the phone and made his way back to his seat, just as Kurt was arriving from the opposite direction. Kurt smiled as he caught Blaine's eye, and the shorter man reached out to tug him into a hard hug.

"Oof-" Kurt breathed as Blaine grabbed him tightly. "I love you too, Honeybee, but why the sudden desire to crush my bones?" Blaine loosened his grip a smidge.

"Nothing, I just – I love you so much okay? Everything you are, I love."

"Even the fact that I have at _least_ 14 pairs of shoes too many for our little apartment?" Kurt joked.

"Even that," Blaine assured him. Kurt pressed his lips to Blaine's, and immediately heard several people in the stands gasp. Thankfully, however, no-one said anything rude as far as they could hear.

Hand in hand, they climbed the stairs of the bleachers once more and settled in to watch the rest of the game. OSU unfortunately lost to the team from Pennsylvania in double overtime, though Burt and Carole left cursing the ref and his apparently 'very dodgy' calls. Some things didn't change.

**Never fear dear reader, you will not have to wait long for part 3 of this chapter as I will put it up as soon as I receive it tomorrow from my super hero beta. If you liked this chapter, please let me know via a review or PM. You have no idea how much private clapping and general flailing revolves around checking my email.  
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*** As long as everything on my storyboard happens according to plan I fully intend to have at least a small snippet of future!info about all our fave cast members on Glee. It may not be for a long time, but if you are wondering what's up with BIOAHeadCanon regarding…oh say Sue Sylvester, just wait you'll find out eventually. **

**Obnoxiously long non-story-related authors note regarding seeing Darren Criss and Glee Live: **

**Darren – It was awesome. It was a little insane. Over a thousand freaking out girls (and the occasional guy). I'm a big Darren fan, I am, but some of the people were crazy obnoxious. I overheard quite a few starkid/glee fights, but managed to keep myself out of trouble. I don't get why his fan base has such…anger in it. Darren's awesome, he clearly cares about fans from every segment of work he's ever done –It's just dumb. Be happy for the guy and the work he does. Anywho, there was an opener, John West who wasn't bad but didn't really stand out. Then Darren's friend from college came and sang for a bit, and then finally Darren opened his show with "I'll make a man out of you," from Mulan which was awesome. He looked beautiful but exhausted. I think he mentioned being exhausted like three times...I think he works too hard. I am really glad I got to see him live but as a fan I kind of wish he was home sleeping or taking a break. He sang a ton of songs and he sounded really really good. Human, Not Alone and Sami were all amazing. He's funny and sweet and def knows how to work a crowd. He sang a bunch of songs from AVPM and the chick who played Draco in AVPM came out on stage to sing Granger Danger and Going Back to Hogwarts with him. That was good. A few of the Warblers (sans Telly) came out and sang Don't You and a very differently arranged Teenage Dream with Darren. Finally Naya Rivera (Santana) came out as a surprise and sang Valerie with Darren. That was my favorite part. He closed the show with "Part of your world" from The Little Mermaid and Stutter. Stutter is def the sexiest song he's done in my opinion apart from When I get You Alone. I was able to get a decent viewing position on the balcony (wasn't going to duke it out with a bunch of 14/15 year olds to try to get up close to the stage) and apart from the super obnoxious mom I was behind, was able to see and hear everything really well. He thanked his fans like 12,000+ times and seemed to be enjoying himself a ton. I just hope he doesn't burn out. I worry for him about that, he and Chris do sooooooooooo much, bb needs a break some times. **

**Glee – My college friend and I went together. We got there early and managed to get in just fine. I bought a couple over priced souvenirs but am happy with my purchases. The seats we had were way better than I thought they would be – not super close but totally able to see and hear everything well. The League of eXtraordinary Dancers (LXD) were the openers and they were def super talented. The show we saw was their last US show of this tour and they seemed to really be in to it and trying to make it special for New York. I won't go through the whole set list but I will talk about my favorite performances. "I'm a Slave 4 U" – Britney (Heather Morris) looked ridiculously good and her dancing was off the chart. I **_**loathe **_**Britney Spears with a fiery passion but I would listen to 100 hours of her to watch Brit/HeMo dance. "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" – OMG Chris Colfer be still my heart. He sounded sooo good and you could absolutely tell it was live. He shook hands with people in the pit and, it was just breathtakingly beautiful to watch. Mercedes (Amber Riley) – killed it during Ain't No Way but she wouldn't turn around so I could get a good picture so that sucked. "Happy Days are Here Again/Get Happy" – Chris and Michele were soooo good, it was so lovely to see the two of them together, it was probably the sweetest musical moment of the evening. KLAINE skit – K to B: "You are the Sesame to my Street" B to K: "Stop it Kurt, you had me at Sesame Street" (youtube it!), oh it was so lovely and cute. Perfect moment for klaine shippers. "Don't Rain on My Parade" – Michele had the crowd going bananas (my friend in particular), it was so so good, and again you could absolutely tell it was really her. Single Ladies Dance- Well, what more do I have to say, it was a Chris Colfer sex riot on stage. All in all it was a fantastic night and I feel so lucky that I was able to go. It was truly a rare thing for me, I haven't been to a concert like that since I was a tween and I'm in my mid twenties now. If you were unable to go you have my sympathies, but you also have the 3D movie to look forward to so do not despair! **

**Alright, that's a long enough obnoxiously long authors note I think. Ta ta. **

**YAY MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN NEW YORK STATE. YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY.**


	9. Chapter 6, Part 3

**As promised, Chapter 6, Part 3. Thank you to everyone who reviews, favorites, alerts or just plain reads and thank you to my lovely beta. The reviews as of late have been particularly hilarious and wonderful.**

Kurt and Blaine happily slept in the next day – Kurt, in particular, as he had been up until nearly 4am working on the boot issue for Zeb, long after Blaine had fallen asleep. Carole finally knocked on their door around 11 and, with promises of brunch, cajoled them out of bed and downstairs to join the others.

"Hey, kiddo, do you mind helping me for a bit at the shop today?" Burt asked. "One of my guys called in sick."

"Yeah sure," Kurt agreed, swallowing his mouthful of scrambled eggs. "I just have to get my coveralls." Blaine smirked inwardly at this turn of events – Kurt in coveralls was one of the most adorable and alarmingly sexy things he had ever seen.

"What are your plans for today, Blaine?" Carole inquired, while doling out more toast to her husband and son.

"I have to study for finals for the majority of the day, unfortunately."

"I am so glad school is almost over forever!" Finn blurted out.

"Me too," agreed Kurt with a fervent nod. Blaine glared at them both, pulling out an enormous stack of flashcards from the backpack he had brought to the table.

"Make it through this semester and it'll get easier, Blaine. I've always read that the L1 year is the hardest by design, so they can weed people out," Carole tried to comfort him.

"Let's hope so," Blaine sighed. Kurt took his hand and rubbed circles into his palm, feeling a pang of guilt. Sometimes he got so caught up in his own stress, especially now with his internship, that he forgot that Blaine was working his ass off in law school.

"You'll be brilliant," he reassured his boyfriend.

Twenty minutes later Kurt had changed and left for Burt's garage, and Blaine sat at the kitchen table with his books and flashcards spread out before him. Finn had sat at the table for a few minutes, picking up flashcards at random, but he had been more interested in the complicated legal jargon than in actually trying to quiz Blaine.

"What's Pre-Ma Fay-Ce?" he asked curiously, picking up one card.

"What?" Blaine questioned distractedly, not looking up from his Constitutional Law textbook.

"Pre-Ma Fay-Ce," Finn repeated slowly. Blaine furrowed his brow. _What_?

"Let me see," he instructed the taller man, holding out his hand and studying the proffered card for a moment. "Oh! Prima Facie – it's pronounced pry-mah fay-sha"

"Isn't that what I said?"

"Um, no – but good try. It means 'at first sight'."

"Oh. Why don't they just say that then?"

"I don't know. Lawyers love their Latin."

"Lawyers are weird, dude. Lemme know when you get bored and wanna play Halo." Blaine looked up at Finn's lanky frame as Finn stood to leave the kitchen.

"Thanks, Finn."

"So this is studying for finals, hmm?" asked Kurt amusedly, walking into Finn's room several hours later. Startled, Blaine looked up from his video game. It took him a moment to pick his jaw up from the floor so he could answer. Kurt stood in the doorway with one hand on his hip and the other edging the doorframe, dressed in a black t-shirt and white coveralls with grease marks here, there and everywhere. His hair was pushed back haphazardly, and a streak of engine grease was smeared along his left cheekbone. In a word, he looked breathtaking.

"I only started playing half an hour ago!" Blaine managed to protest over his awe, with Finn nodding to back him up even though it had been much closer to a full hour than thirty minutes.

"Riiight," drawled Kurt skeptically. "Finn; Rachel's downstairs waiting for you." Finn glanced at the clock, before letting out a strangled yelp.

"Shit, where'd the time go? Bye Blaine; bye Kurt – I'll be back to pick you guys up for the party tonight!" Finn hurried out of the room and lumbered down the stairs, while Blaine saved their game and shut down the system.

Kurt offered a hand to Blaine, tugging him up from his cross legged position on Finn's floor, and the two crossed the hall to Kurt's room. As soon as the door closed behind them, Kurt grabbed Blaine by the shoulders and started pressing insistent kisses to his lips and jaw. Blaine groaned in pleasure, tilting his head back to give Kurt better access.

"Kurt … Kurt, not that that doesn't feel – fuck … amazing; but aren't your parents right downstairs?"

"Nope," answered Kurt mischievously, reaching down to un-tuck Blaine's shirt from his pants. "My dad was going to shower quickly and then take Carole out to dinner since we're going to be gone tonight. They'll be out of here in a few minutes."

"Oh," was all Blaine could manage to say, as he felt Kurt's nails scrape along his back under his shirt. "G-good, that's good."

"Very good," agreed Kurt solemnly, "and I know how much you like this … outfit, as horrifically distasteful as it may be …"

"God, Kurt, you have no idea," whimpered Blaine, cupping his lover's face in his hands so he could kiss him.

It wasn't long before they were both undressing. Kurt slipped off one strap of the coveralls, then the other, loving he look of amazement and desire on Blaine's face as he tugged them down and over his hips, leaving him clad only in black briefs and his black cotton t-shirt. He slid his fingers under its hem and made to pull it off, but Blaine caught his hand and eased it back down onto his hip.

"Can you … keep it on? _Please_," Blaine pleaded, smiling shyly at him. Kurt rolled his eyes but grinned down at his boyfriend nonetheless.

"Really, Blaine? Grease Monkey Kurt? Well, if you insist." In thanks, Blaine wrapped one arm around Kurt's back, pulling him close, and slid his other hand between them to palm at Kurt's erection through his underwear. His hands were rough but the strokes smooth, and soon Kurt was bucking shamelessly into his hand.

Blaine slipped his hand into Kurt's briefs and gripped his arousal firmly, pumping up and down the length. Kurt shimmied out of his underwear and let it fall to the floor, as Blaine's thumb rolled over the head of his penis. Kurt bit down hard on his lip.

"Fuck, Blaine," he gasped. He eased Blaine's hand off of him and began the second round of his attack on Blaine's neck and collarbone, licking and sucking along the skin there. He pushed Blaine back against the bedroom door, leaning forward and down to kiss and lick along his chest, pulling one of his nipples into his mouth and rolling the other between his thumb and forefinger.

"Guh, Kurt – _Kurt_," Blaine moaned, his hands grasping at Kurt's back.

With little preamble Kurt was on his knees, taking Blaine's length in hand, not bothering with teasing but just rolling his fisted hand over his lover, as Blaine bent his knees and gripped the door handle for support.

"I love you," whispered Kurt as he licked his lips and wrapped his mouth around Blaine's cock. His hot mouth slid over the shaft, and what he couldn't take in his mouth he continued to massage with one hand, rubbing lazily over Blaine's balls with the other.

Blaine couldn't take it. He glanced down at Kurt with a black smudge still on his cheek; his hair in disarray – yup, he was going to come down Kurt's throat any second if Kurt didn't stop _right fucking now_.

"_Kurt_, Kurt, st-stop," he choked out. Kurt released him with a pop and looked up at him in surprise. "In – inside, please," Blaine gasped, running a shaking hand through his own hair.

"Get on the bed," Kurt ordered him. Despite his wobbly legs, Blaine eventually made it over to the bed and propped himself up so his hips were raised by a few pillows. Kurt joined him on the bed a moment later with the lube and a neon pink condom in his hand.

He rolled the condom onto himself, lubing his hand generously. He set to work preparing Blaine so he could take him without pain, and after a few minutes decided his lover was ready. He pushed Blaine's legs further apart before settling between them, lining himself up with Blaine's entrance. Blaine wrapped his legs tightly around Kurt's back, interlocking his ankles as Kurt pushed himself inside.

"Mmm, Blaine, baby, you feel so good," sighed Kurt happily as was enveloped in the familiar, tight heat.

"Ah, God, _there_ – you do t-t-too," whimpered Blaine. He clawed at the material of Kurt's oil splattered shirt – sure, Kurt would berate him for stretching it out later, but at the moment…

"Here?" gasped Kurt as he pulled out almost entirely, before thrusting back into the slightly shorter man, hitting the same spot as before.

"Yes, yes; fucking goddamn it _yes_," cried Blaine, groaning in pleasure as Kurt made rough contact with his prostate.

Further moans and whimpers were lost as Kurt plastered his mouth against Blaine's, kissing him fiercely. He sped up his thrusts as Blaine rocked back into him, and before long he could feel Blaine's muscles begin to tense around him. He broke the kiss momentarily to give his right hand a quick wet lick, before sliding it teasingly down Blaine's abdomen and onto his dick. One, two, three strokes; and the contractions overtook Blaine and he was coming all over Kurt's hand and both of their stomachs. Kurt let himself go at the same time and came hard and fast, crying out his boyfriend's name with a satisfied moan.

"I love sex!" exclaimed Blaine through a fit of giggles, as he and Kurt lay together basking in the afterglow a few minutes later.

"Me too," seconded Kurt, dragging his hand along Blaine's abdomen. Blaine's giggling quieted and his tone turned suddenly serious as he locked eyes with the other man.

"I love _you_, Kurt. I'm so glad we're getting this time together this break."

"I love you too, Blaine. Believe me – I feel awful that this semester has been so demanding …"

"No, no; I don't want you to feel awful … I know you're working your ass off for a purpose. I'm just thankful for a vacation, however short."

"Me too – and just think: in a couple more weeks we'll be on Christmas Break and have two whole weeks to visit friends, relax, and have as much sex as we can handle." Blaine laughed loudly at the suggestion.

"As much as we can handle, huh?" Kurt shifted to press his lips against the sensitive spot just behind Blaine's earlobe.

"Wanna go again?" he asked throatily, breathing heavily into Blaine's ear. Blaine laughed, taking Kurt by the shoulders and flipping them over on the bed, smirking down at the man he loved.

"Is that even a question?"

At eight that evening, Finn drove Kurt and Blaine over to Rachel's parents' house for the long-awaited party. Kurt was extremely excited that everyone they knew was both home at the same time, and available, a rare feat that had not occurred once post-graduation. Rachel had even gone the extra mile, inviting Blaine's close Dalton friends Wes, Thad and David, along with their respective girlfriends/fiancés. If this party played out at all like any other ND party, drama was sure to ensue eventually, but sitting with Blaine in the backseat of Finn's car, gazing at the sunset over Ohio, Kurt couldn't be more excited to see his high school friends.

"Kurt! Blaine! Gigantor! Hey guys!" the distinct voice of Artie Abrams called out to the trio as they slid out of the car in Rachel's driveway.

"Artie! Sam!" cried Kurt, dashing over to the front porch, where Artie and Sam were waiting to be let in. The five exchanged a round of hugs between them, all sporting matching wide beams.

"How are you guys? How's the business? How's Chicago? How's everything?" Kurt demanded all in a rush. Sam laughed, pausing to take a breath before replying, and so having his thunder stolen by his partner.

"The business is doing great! Kind of crazy that our first anniversary of taking the company public is coming up …but it's also pretty exciting and awesome," mused Artie.

"Sounds like your investment really paid off," observed Blaine.

"To the tune of 1.2 mil, bitches!" bragged Artie teasingly.

"And yet you're still attending Rachel Berry house parties?" joked Kurt with a raised eyebrow. Sam laughed and rang Rachel's doorbell.

"Can't forget where you came from, man. Jeez, you know, the first time I was here was right before my dad lost his job and we lost our house."

"Yeah, well, I saw the house you bought your parents downtown, Sam. It's pretty sweet," commented Finn. Sam opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when a very excited Rachel Berry opened the door.

"Gentlemen!" she squealed. "I am _so_ glad you're all here! Mercedes, Jay and Tina are already downstairs. Come in, come in!"

"Help me get Artie down the stairs, Finn?" Sam asked, gesturing to Artie's wheelchair.

"Yeah, no problem." The two lifted Artie and his wheelchair easily, carefully carrying both down the stairs to Rachel's basement.

"Thanks!" grinned Artie as they set him down in the main room of the basement.

"Isn't it hard going to school _and_ running a company, you guys?" Rachel asked with a small frown. Sam shook his head.

"_School _is hard; the running a company part is easy. Artimus here –"

"Damn it, Sam, do _not _call me that!" interrupted Artie, rolling his eyes.

"– does all the planning and technical stuff, and I do all our marketing and communications junk. I'll be glad to be done with school in May though, so we can just work full time and hire a few more people."

"Congrats on Spring Awakening, by the way. I heard it was incredible," Artie praised Rachel with a genuine smile.

"It was. The director said my performance was ethereal," she confirmed, taking the large bag Sam offered her with wide eyes. "What's in here?"

"We're loaded now, so we figured we'd bring you some top-shelf stuff so we wouldn't have to drink whatever sewer water Puck was planning to provide for us to drink."

"Yeah," interjected Sam. "Best perk of being rich? No more shitty Natty Light, that's for sure." Kurt made a face of disgust.

"Finn tricked me into trying that once. It was a more traumatic experience than having to lay eyes on Whoopi Goldberg's "'Barney the Dinosaur' dress at the 1993 Oscars."

The rest of the partygoers trickled in little by little over the next half hour. Wes, David, Angela, Thad and Hanna had carpooled together; Brittany and Mike showed up in a cab; Santana arrived with Dave and Liam a little while later; and Puck and Lauren soon followed them. Quinn and Kevin were the last to arrive.

"Kevin!" Blaine admonished as soon as his college friend approached him. "How come you didn't tell me you were going to propose to Quinn?" Kevin raked his fingers through his pin straight black hair with a nervous smile.

"I…it was…" He took a deep breath and tried again. "I bought the ring a while ago; I was planning on proposing after the New Year…but Thursday night, after we had dinner with her dad and sister, we went for a drive and got to talking about our families, and what we wanted for ourselves and the future … and before I knew it, I was kneeling on the ground in some clearing just off Highway 75," Kevin recalled, smiling widely.

"The clearing just by mile marker 17?" Blaine blurted out without thinking.

"Yeah, why?" Blaine blushed, remembering spending some quality time in that same clearing over the summer, in the rental car with Kurt.

"Oh, no reason. Never mind … but seriously, congrats, Kev."

"Her dad was _not_ happy, but she said she couldn't care less. I love her; she loves me: end of story."

"Good for you, man."

"Thanks." Kevin turned and looked over his shoulder, before raising his eyebrows dramatically. "And now I get to go meet Noah Puckerman. Hey, any tips for what to say to the ex high school fling who fathered your future wife's now adopted kid?" Blaine shook his head with a wry smile, handing his friend a drink.

"I'm sure you'll think of something." Kevin smiled at him and turned towards the corner of the room where Quinn and Puck were speaking quietly. Blaine was glad Kevin could have such a sense of humor about such a potentially awkward event.

He quickly spotted Kurt sitting with Brittany and Tina, as Brittany was being introduced to Mercedes' boyfriend Jay. Kurt had flashed him a smile, and Blaine was on his way to join them on the couch, when Mercedes suddenly leaned over to whisper in Kurt's ear. Kurt raised his palm up to halt Blaine, giggled, grabbed a confused Jay's hand, and instead rose from the couch with him, walking quickly over towards Blaine as Mercedes, Tina and Brittany sat together whispering conspiratorially.

"What's going on?" Jay asked Blaine. Blaine shrugged his shoulders.

"I was about to ask you guys the same thing." Kurt grinned widely.

"Just wait a minute: this is going to be good." Over on the sofa, Brittany was nodding happily at whatever Mercedes was saying, and the three girls stood up and took off giggling up the stairs.

"They'll be back," reassured Kurt upon catching the nervous look on Jay's face.

Thad, Wes and David approached them a moment later and handed the three other guys gin and tonics, which they all took happily.

"Sorry Thanksgiving turned out so…awkward, man," Thad consoled with a grimace. Kurt cocked an eyebrow at him and Jay looked on curiously.

"How do you know?" Thad shrugged his shoulders.

"Blaine's family's maid told mine, and she told my mom. Gossip travels fast in the land of country clubs," he stated simply. Blaine sighed.

"Yeah, I got _quite_ the earful from them on the phone yesterday."

"I can't believe what you said to your grandma!" Thad exclaimed, looking both scandalized and a little amused.

"What did you say?" asked Jay, a little unsure if he was overstepping. Wes simply broke out into a wide grin and sniggered, obviously glad Jay had asked.

"N-nothi-," stammered Blaine, but Wes cut him off abruptly.

"Blaine told his hoity-toity grandmother that the only thing different about being in Lima from being in the city, was that he and Kurt had to cut down on the noise when they were banging!" he exclaimed, laughing hysterically. Kurt's mouth flew open at this, and his cheeks burned bright red.

"Blaine Anderson! _Tell me you did __**not**_ _say __**that**_ to your grandmother!" he shrieked.

"Thanks, guys," Blaine commented ruefully to Wes, David and Thad. He bit his lip, trying to hold back a smile.

"Kurt, _baby_," he snorted, "it just came out." Kurt continued to glare at him.

"I have to see these people again at Christmas, and here you are, broadcasting our sex life to your _grandparents_-"

"_- And _parents." David interjected unhelpfully.

"_**And parents**_?" groaned Kurt in disbelief.

"Come on, Kurt, things with them were going to be… weird no matter what," Blaine pleaded. Kurt, whose eyes had been screwed shut in embarrassment, caught the subtle hint of hurt and shame in Blaine's voice, and his expression softened immediately. The annoyance and embarrassment ebbed away, replaced by love and empathy for the other man. The four others hadn't noticed the change in atmosphere, as they were still tittering away, sipping on their gin and tonics.

"That must have been something to see," Kurt said softly, taking a step closer to Blaine and running his hand through Blaine's hair. Blaine looked up at him sheepishly through lowered eyelids.

"So … you aren't mad?"

"No. I'm not mad." They kissed briefly, Blaine letting out a short sigh of relief into the kiss. Kurt giggled and shook his head, leaning closer and melting into Blaine, his voice rather husky.

"But here I was thinking it had been _my_ cheekiness that had gotten you so riled up that night that I ended up over your kn-"

"Still here! Still. Right. Here!" The trio of Dalton boys and Jay cut in hurriedly. Kurt, who had quite forgotten that they were in the middle of a crowded party, immediately pulled away from Blaine and stared at the floor, mortified and unable to speak.

"Oh thank God – Mercedes, Britt and Tina are back," Blaine pointed out unnecessarily, as the three girls descended the staircase to the basement once more.

"Thank Grilled Cheesus," Kurt muttered under his breath.

Mercedes quickly sought out Rachel and whispered something in her ear. Rachel nodded enthusiastically, hooking her iPod up to its docking station on the edge of the large stage. Mercedes strutted across the room to the stage, followed by Brittany and Tina, who stood a few feet behind her as Mercedes grabbed the mic.

"This is for Jay," she announced, blowing her boyfriend a kiss. She then signaled to Rachel, who clicked the dial on her iPod, and a moment later the karaoke version of Nicki Minajs' _Super Bass_ filled the room.

_This one is for the boys with the booming system  
>Top down, AC with the cooling system<br>When he come up in the club, he be blazin' up  
>Got stacks on deck like he savin' up<br>And he ill, he real, he might gotta deal  
>He pop bottles and he got the right kind of bill<br>He cold, he dope, he might sell coke  
>He always in the air, but he never fly coach<br>He a muthafuckin trip, trip, sailor of the ship, ship  
>When he make it drip, drip kiss him on the lip, lip<br>That's the kind of dude I was lookin' for  
>And yes you'll get slapped if you're lookin' hoe<br>I said, excuse me you're a hell of a guy  
>I mean my, my, my, my you're like pelican fly<br>I mean, you're so shy and I'm loving your tie  
>You're like slicker than the guy with the thing on his eye, oh<br>Yes I did, yes I did, somebody please tell him who the F I is  
>I am 'Cedes Jones, I mack them dudes up, back coupes up, and chuck the deuce up<em>

Jay stood frozen with his mouth hanging unashamedly open. Blaine didn't blame him in the slightest – he had seen Mercedes sing countless times, but he had had _no_ idea she could rap like this or that fast or – just, _whoa_. As she transitioned into the chorus Brittany and Tina, who had been simply shimmying behind her until now, immediately launched into a dance very reminiscent of the one in the original Super Bass video.

_Boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away  
>Beating like a drum and it's coming your way<br>Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass  
>Yeah that's that super bass<br>Got that super bass boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass  
>Yeah that's that super bass<br>Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, he got that super bass  
>boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, he got that super bass<em>

Kurt laughed as he watched Jay with his gaze locked on his girlfriend, unable to do anything more than simply _watch_. He smiled as Quinn grabbed his hand and began to dance along to Mercedes' song alongside Artie and Lauren, who were also rocking out as Mercedes launched into the second verse.

_This one is for the boys in the polos  
>Entrepreneur niggas in the moguls<br>He could ball with the crew, he could solo  
>But I think I like him better when he dolo<br>And I think I like him better with the fitted cap on  
>He ain't even gotta try to put the mac on<br>He just gotta give me that look, when he give me that look  
>Then the panties comin' off, off, uh<br>Excuse me, you're a hell of a guy you know I really got a thing for American guys  
>I mean, sigh, sickenin' eyes I can tell that you're in touch with your feminine side<br>Yes I did, yes I did, somebody please tell him who the F I is  
>I am Mer-cedes Jones, I mack them dudes up, back coupes up, and chuck the deuce up<em>

Blaine caught Finn's eye as they watched the others dance around the room to Mercedes' continued singing. He motioned for the taller man to come over, and chuckled softly as Finn awkwardly danced over to where he was leaning in front of the bar.

"What's up, dude?"

"You wanna take a leaf out of Mercedes' book?" Finn frowned in obvious confusion.

"I thought Mercedes was singing…not reading….about trees…?" Finn mumbled helplessly. Blaine barely stifled his snort.

"She is. I have an idea. Kurt and Rachel will love it, I think." Finn still didn't get it, and Blaine rolled his eyes before spelling the plan out for his companion. "Sing. We should sing to Kurt and Rachel," he explained slowly. A look of comprehension finally dawned upon Finn's features, followed quickly by a broad grin.

"Yeah. Yeah! That'd be awesome. What should we do?" Blaine's eyes lit up.

"Come with me." The two slipped quietly up the stairs, relying on Mercedes to hold the room's attention and disguise their disappearance.

Kurt shrieked with laughter as Quinn spun him around the room, just as Mercedes finished her song. Once it was over she leapt from the stage, laughing merrily as Jay caught her in a tight hug.

"That was amazing, 'Cedes!" he praised, pulling her into a deep kiss.

Brittany and Tina high-fived, jumped from the stage as well.

"Thanks for teaching me, Britt!" Tina said happily, walking to the bar to grab a drink.

"It's a couple albums ago, but audiences love that song so Nicki had us learn the choreography for it." She then snorted aloud. "You should see Mike do it." Tina's smile faltered slightly at the mention of Mike, who was thankfully deep in conversation with Sam, Artie and Puck, but she quickly recovered and handed Brittany a drink as well.

"What's it like being on tour, Britt?" Kurt asked.

"It's cool. You get to stay in different hotels all the time, and no one makes fun of me for not knowing the name of what city we're in because they don't know either. Lord Tubbington doesn't like moving around so much, but I think I finally got him to quit smoking for good," she added offhandedly. "Facebook told me you're dating Detroit?" she then frowned, turning to Tina in confusion. "Isn't it kinda hard to date a whole city?" Tina and Kurt both burst into giggles.

"My boyfriend's name is Detroit, Britt. I'm not dating the city."

"Oh, okay! I mean, I like to make out too, but a whole city…" She sounded vaguely disappointed, but broke out in a wide grin. "Hey! Remember when we made out, Kurt?" Kurt blushed slightly.

"Vividly."

"Hey sweetheart," Kurt heard Blaine coo in his ear. He turned to smile at his lover.

"Hey."

"Go grab Rachel and sit on the couch, okay?" Kurt searched Blaine's eyes, but couldn't figure out what he was up to, although he knew for sure there was something.

"Okay …" Blaine flashed him his megawatt smile, glad Kurt had agreed without fuss.

Rachel was less agreeable, bickering relentlessly with Kurt as he led her away from a discussion with Hanna and Angela about Barbra Streisand and over to the couch. She finally hushed as Finn and Blaine stepped onto the stage, grabbing everyone's attention.

They grinned out at the other partygoers from their positions on stage, obviously proud of themselves. Finn knelt down to scroll through the iPod and picked another karaoke song. Blaine cleared his throat softly, then started to sing as the first few bars of music began to play.

_When I get older losing my hair  
>Many years from now<br>Will you still be sending me a valentine  
>Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?<em>

Blaine raked a hand through his thick hair as he sang the first line, offering Kurt a scandalized look. Kurt laughed and clapped as Finn took over for the next few lines.  
><em><br>If I'd been out 'til quarter to three  
>Would you lock the door?<br>Will you still need me, will you still feed me  
>When I'm sixty-four?<em>

It was Rachel's turn to shake with mirth as Finn pointed to his belly when asking if she'd still feed him.

_You'll be older too  
>And if you say the word<br>I could stay with you_

They sang the chorus and the rest of the song together, with the other guests swaying and clapping softly in time with the song.

_Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight  
>If it's not too dear<br>We shall scrimp and save  
>Grandchildren on your knee<br>Vera, Chuck & Dave_

_Send me a postcard, drop me a line  
>Stating point of view<br>Indicate precisely what you mean to say  
>Yours sincerely, wasting away<br>Give me your answer, fill in a form  
>Mine for evermore<br>Will you still need me, will you still feed me  
>When I'm sixty-four?<em>

"I didn't know you even listened to the Beatles!" exclaimed Rachel as Finn and Blaine bowed and sauntered off stage. Finn shrugged nonchalantly.

"Kurt listens to them all the time. I guess some rubbed off."

"That was adorable," she gushed, throwing her arms around him. He offered her a lopsided grin.

"Thanks, Rach."

Blaine stood shyly behind the towering mass that was Finn, but Kurt wound his way easily around his brother and Rachel to reach his boyfriend.

"I love you," he told him simply.

"Even if I lose all my hair?" Blaine teased. Kurt pressed his pointer finger to his lip, feigning serious thought about the matter.

"I suppose," he relented airily. He lost his haughty stature, however, when he immediately pulled Blaine into a tight hug and kissed him fiercely.

"Well, as sickeningly sweet as this little love fest has been," Artie teased as he rolled over to them, followed by Sam and Puck, "this really isn't that kind of party."

"What kind of party is it, Artie?" Sam asked in an extremely rehearsed-sounding TV announcer voice. _Gaga, they're dorks, _thought Kurt good-naturedly.

"Well, it's not a holiday party, or a graduation party, and it definitely isn't a _birthday _party…"

"It's just a PARTY!" yelled Puck happily, his voice slightly slurred. The three went up the ramp to the stage, and Sam and Puck shared the mic as the infamous _Not_ _Your_ _Birthday_, by All Star Weekend, blasted from the speakers.

_Every clock is ticking faster  
>Taking trips around the sun<br>Another Year, Another Chapter  
>5, and 4, and 3, and 2, and 1<em>

_Drop Your Calls, Lose your keys  
>(Before The Night Is Gone)<br>Get yourself out your funk  
>(OWH OWH)<br>Quit your bitching, ships not yet sunk  
>(Until the break of dawn)<br>'Cause nobody gives a damn about the day that you were born_

"This song was like _the_ song of senior year," commented Dave to Liam from where he was sitting on the floor, propped up on several pillows.

"Yeah, same at my school, although people seemed to tie it to Alice in Wonderland all the time," replied Liam from his space next to him. Dave blinked at him, confused. "A very merry un-birthday, to you, to you! A very merry un-birthday…" Liam explained in a sing song voice.

_This song's for everyone who it ain't your birthday  
>Ya gotta party like it's not, party like it's not<br>This song's for anyone that's having the worst day  
>Ya gotta party like it's not, party like it's not<br>OH AH OH_

_Take a mo-ment of the good life  
>Chase it down until you fall<br>Three hundred and sixty five nights  
>Why just one if we can have 'em all?<em>

Artie, who had been silent up until this point, grinned out at their friends before taking possession of the mic to rap the next few lines.

_Ok let's lose control  
>I wanna see everybody on the floor<br>Go and send your invitations  
>Do it now 'cause time it wastin'<br>Life is tough, so listen up  
>DJ turn that weekend up<br>When the crowd goes wild  
>You know it's on<br>If you wanna party then here's your song  
>It's alright, it's ok it's not even my birthday!<em>

_Party like it's not, party like it's not  
>Party like it's not, party like it's not<br>Like it's not your birthday  
>Party like it's not, party like it's not<br>(oh ah oh)  
>Party like it's not, party like it's not<em>

Everyone was dancing at this point, swaying around the room and bumping shoulders laughingly – the room was large, but with 20-plus tipsy people, things just kind of happened. The song ended, and the three boys left the stage to rousing applause.

"Enough singing!" declared Santana. "It's time to play a game."

"I have Taboo and Pictionary and Apples to Apples –" Rachel began excitedly, turning to rummage through her box of party games.

"No, hobbit, we're going to play a _real _party game," Santana proclaimed, smiling wickedly around the room. "Never have I ever, anyone?" The idea was met with much cheer. "Alright, do I need to explain the rules?" she demanded as they settled into a large circle on Rachel's floor. Angela, Liam and Brittany nodded hopefully.

"I can't remember them. I can't even remember whose house this is," Brittany whispered to Thad, who blinked at her in surprise before patting her hand unsurely.

"Well listen up, kiddies, because I'm only gonna say this once," Santana warned. "First, everyone puts up ten fingers. We pick someone to go first; they say something they've never ever done. If you _have _done it, you put down a finger and take a drink. Then the person to their left goes next, and keep going around the circle. When you put down all ten fingers, you're out. We keep playing until everyone is out. Got it?"

The three nodded, and so the game began. Everything stayed fairly tame at first, as the group slowly became more relaxed in one another's company. Eventually everyone had either gone or skipped, and it was Santana's turn once again.

"Never have I ever …" She licked her lips before pausing to think for a moment. "Never have I ever … enjoyed being spanked. Sexually," she added for unnecessary clarification.

Everyone firmly avoided one another's gazes as Brittany, Quinn, Rachel, Kurt _and_ Finn all took sips of their drinks. Rachel caught Blaine's eye and they shared a knowing and amused look.

"Well, they _are_ brothers," quipped Blaine with a snort, earning him a messy high five from Rachel and a particularly venomous glare from Kurt.

Puck laughed, pointing at Finn mockingly, until Lauren smacked the back of his head and he quieted long enough to take a small sip of his own.

A moment later Quinn spoke up, shushing those who were still giggling immaturely over the spanking question.

"Never have I ever smoked pot."

The group was apparently much more comfortable admitting to minor drug usage than sexual kinks, as Hanna, Thad, Wes, David, Blaine, Finn, Puck, Santana and Brittany each casually took drinks from their respective cups.

Kevin looked around the room wildly. He didn't really know anyone here besides Blaine, Kurt and Quinn, so he wasn't sure what to say or how risqué he ought to be.

"Um, never have I ever … had sex in a public place." Puck gaped at him.

"You're missing out, man!"

"What counts as a 'public' place?" Tina asked hesitantly.

"If you have to ask, just drink," advised Lauren, raising her own cup to her lips. Tina nodded in agreement and tipped her cup back, along with Santana, Brittany, David, Blaine, Kurt, Mike, Puck, Brittany, Sam, Mercedes and Jay.

"See? I _told_ you it wasn't weird," Thad muttered to Hanna, but not quietly enough to go unheard by the others. He immediately received several amused glances, and he ducked his head with an embarrassed cough. It was Hanna's turn next. She giggled from her position on Thad's lap.

"Never have I ever thought I was pregnant."

The various side conversations taking place around the room came to an abrupt halt, and the expression on Quinn's face was nothing less than murderous. Brittany raised her drink to her mouth, but Rachel eased her hand away and shushed her before the poor blonde could protest.

Hanna immediately knew she had said the wrong thing, but of course, didn't know why. She tried to backpedal, though she couldn't seem to control her giggling.

"Or um….I mean, never have I ever been off the continent?"

Quinn still looked pissed, but relaxed a fraction of an inch as Kevin put his arm around her and whispered something softly in her ear. After a few last uncomfortable glances, Wes, David, Thad, Liam, Mike, Brittany, Sam and Artie all drank.

Wes was quick to go next.

"Never have I ever kissed a guy."

All the girls rolled their eyes and drank, along with Kurt, Blaine, Dave, Liam and … Mike?

"_Mike_?" Kurt questioned, scandalized and spluttering. The dancer merely shrugged his shoulders offhandedly.

"Nicki's last tour had some choreography that required it. She's really physical with her routines." Brittany nodded sagely in agreement, effectively putting an end to any discussion of Mike's sexuality.

Liam smiled around charmingly at the group.

"Never have I ever thrown up from drinking," he announced triumphantly.

"The man has an iron liver," confirmed Dave somewhat enviously.

All of the New Directions apart from Finn took sips of their drinks, joined by Dave, Blaine, David, Hanna, Thad and Wes. Blaine looked incredulously at Kurt.

"I've never even seen you drunk! When could you have drunk so much that it made you throw up?"

"April Rhodes … Chablis … muscle magazines … Ugh, suffice it to say, it was before I knew you," mumbled Kurt, suddenly very put off by his drink.

"He threw up on Miss Pillsbury," confided Mercedes with a high-pitched giggle.

"No!" gasped Blaine, whipping his head around to stare at his lover.

"Hey! Hey! Brittany _and_ Santana threw up on _me_ once!" shouted Rachel from across the room where she was glued to Finn.

The game steadily progressed, and everyone certainly found out more about each other than they probably ever needed to know. Santana and Puck were the first to be 'out' after having to drink upon Artie's 'Never have I ever been arrested' claim, followed soon after by Blaine, Brittany, Mike and Quinn after Wes declared that he'd never kissed anyone in the room. Kevin, Finn, Angela and Liam all apparently had sexual kinks involving food, while Thad, Kurt and Tina were all screamers in the bedroom. David and Angela proved to be the most innocent of the group, finally being put out after admitting that they had made out in a car before. Everyone was tipsy or a little drunk by this time, so they decided to cool it to make sure everyone would be fit to drive home later that night.

At around 2am, the goodbye hugs began, as everyone would be flying out or heading back to their respective homes or schools in the morning. It took much longer than strictly necessary, since nobody was particularly eager to leave, but eventually they all took their leave of one another for the foreseeable future. Kurt hugged Rachel especially tightly and thanked her profusely for arranging the party, as it had been lovely to have everyone together in a room again, even if only for a few hours.

Wes made a point of tracking Blaine down before he left with Thad, Angela, David and Hanna.

"It was good to see you, B."

"You too, man. Why does UCLA have to be so freaking far away?"

"Come visit sometime!" Wes suggested, suddenly excited at the prospect.

"Right, on one of my off-weekends from law school," quipped Blaine sarcastically. Wes nodded his understanding, although his face fell slightly.

"Seriously though, Christmas?"

"Christmas. See you then," confirmed Blaine, making a mental note to stay in touch better with everybody.

He gave his best friend a quick but tight hug, before wandering off to find Finn so he and Kurt could go home. As tired as he was, Blaine found he really wasn't eager to get back to Kurt's house: Kurt's house meant it was Sunday, and _that_ meant they'd be leaving for New York later that day. Back to law school just in time for finals; back to Kurt's insane schedule; back to Zeb Marque … Blaine sighed heavily at the thought.

Well, what would come would come, and they'd have to meet it when it did.

_*****_** Harry Potter Homage* - as you may have noticed I used three direct quotes from Harry Potter books in the past two sections of this chapter – both of the "always the tone of surprise" and the last line of this chapter. I'm not sure if Blaine's love of Harry Potter is GleeCanon or FFcanon, but **_**I **_**love HP and thought it would be fitting. Not trying to pass those off as my own words at all (****thank you**** darling beta for reminding me to ****let other people know**** that, haha), just a little HP lovin' where I thought it fit nicely with the chapter.**

**Whew, what a chapter that chapter 6 turned out to be – when I started writing it I wondered if I could come up with enough material for my usual 5-7,000 word length chapters. **

**Review button is below if you feel so inclined :). The next chapter will take place in February 2016 followed by Kurt's graduation from FIT in May 2016. Look for upcoming info about the Zeb Marque situation coming to a head as well as Klaine's summer plans.**

***I also slightly changed the lyrics from the All Star Weekend song as the original directly referred to moving ones feet and standing up, which I thought might be a bit insensitive for Artie – so Sam changed them to something he randomly made up in the moment. **


	10. InterludeUpcoming Prompt Contest!

Hello lovely reader!

We're approaching 100 reviews, which is just **insane** in my opinion, so I thought I'd try something a lot of writers of fic do when approaching a milestone in reviews since I am a glutton for audience participation. 135 of you get email alerts when I update…which is fantastic, and thanks, **I'd really love to hear from you**. So I've decided to offer a little contest.

Here's the skinny: I am offering whoever submits the 99th, 100th, and 101st review the chance to give me any prompt (see guidelines below) and I will pick one (or more if they're really fun!) and either incorporate it directly into the story over the next chapter (_not_ including chapter 7) or two OR if it just doesn't fit in the ITT!Verse (I have a verse? What? _What?_) That's okay, in which case I will write a brief one-shot. The prompt may be smutty, fluffy and/or even plot-y.

**Guidelines**: You **MAY** (as always) anonymously review if, say, a prompt for smut suits your fancy but it embarrasses you to have your username attached to it, you **MAY** inquire anything you'd like to know about any OC's or Glee!Verse characters already mentioned in the fic, and you **MAY** be as specific or vague in your prompt as you'd like. You **MAY NOT** prompt anything with non-consent or reluctant/unclear consent, you **SHOULD NOT** prompt anything smutty or plot-y that is so extreme it would lead to serious bodily harm if done in real life - BIOA don't play like that. Other than that, have fun ;)

I realize we're currently on 90 reviews, and I don't really expect any more (certainly not 9-11 more) before I publish the next regular chapter – I wanted to let everyone know about this little contest early to give ya'll some time to think and that when (If?) I receive the prompts I'll have the chapter I'm currently writing finished and be about to begin the following one – Kurt's graduation from FIT (plus lots of other stuff I'm not telling you about…!), leaving me plenty of time to figure out where the prompt would fit without ya'll chomping at the bit for the next chapter. It's about 3:30 in the morning so I'm not sure any of that made sense but oh well – contests are fun, give her a whirl.

I'm hoping to finish chapter 7 tomorrow and have it posted a few days after that as my darling beta is currently temporarily unavailable. I'll put a reminder about this contest in the top A/N of Chapter 7 but I didn't want to clutter space with my inane rambling about the guidelines and such. I'm super excited about this guys. If it goes well we may do it again in several chapters down the road. It wont be a regular thing though.

Good night Klaine Dearies.

Much love,

BIOA


	11. Chapter 7

**Hey Klainers – I'm glad you all appear to have enjoyed the reunion chapter. I apologize for the delay of this chapter, but we're here now and that's all that matters right? ;) I can't thank you all enough for your wonderful feedback. As I posted in the interlude, I am now offering a prompt contest for reviewers 99, 100 and 101. For full guidelines please see the interlude immediately before this chapter.**

**Warning: This chapter is the most angst-filled thing I've written in this story – and will most likely prove to be the most angsty this story ever gets. I've read other angst stories and I would say it is still on the decidedly lighter side of angst, but I thought I'd still put out a warning. Trust me when I tell you things will be just fine, eventually. Keep calm and Klaine on, I have a *lovely* Summer 2016 planned for our boys.**

**The first few breaks of this chapter kind of jump around a bit in terms of time so please pay attention to the time stamp before a new section so you're not confused.**

**February 3****rd****, 2016**

**3:57PM**

"Hey! Hey! Grades from last semester were finally posted!" exclaimed a short African-American woman named Jade, tearing her eyes from her laptop screen to look up from her cross-legged position on Blaine and Kurt's couch.

"Really?" questioned Carlos, a middle-aged Hispanic man who was also a member of Blaine's law school study group.

"Finally! I've been on pins and needles wondering if my scholarship was in danger…" admitted Blaine as he opened the NYULaw Intranet student portal so he could check his marks from the previous semester. The page loaded quickly, and he breathed a sigh of relief – he had managed to attain a 3.34 GPA for the first semester, securing the continuation of his partial scholarship. Tuition at NYU Law was $52,000 a year, and although Blaine's family was quite wealthy, after paying for four years of undergrad studies at Fordham and footing the bill for Kurt and Blaine's apartment in midtown Manhattan (the rent of which tipped the scales at over three grand a month), Blaine's partial scholarship was immensely helpful in terms of keeping him out of student loan debt hell.

"Everybody good?" Jade asked of the small group of five L1 students. Everyone murmured in the affirmative, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. "Alright," she said, nodding briskly, "back to Criminal Law review." Knowing she had the right idea, the four other students reluctantly joined her in burying their heads in books and articles on the e-reserves page of the NYULaw intranet.

"Everything is just a haze for me … What readings are we on again?" frowned Carlos, rubbing at his tired eyes.

"_The Role of the Jury_ from the Kadish, Schulhofer and Steiker text," answered Blaine, showing his book to the man to indicate the correct page.

"Thanks Blaine. Hey, do you think we could –?" Carlos' question was abruptly cut off when the front door was suddenly jerked open. Kurt flew through the room so quickly that the echo of the main door slamming was still audible when the door to Kurt and Blaine's bedroom shut with a bang, but Blaine and the others in his study group heard a distinct, gut-wrenching sob from the bedroom just as the door was closing.

Blaine's eyes widened immediately in confusion and concern, and his classmates looked up at him in shock. He stared at them, frozen, for a moment, before Jade spoke up with a small cough.

"Thanks for hosting, Blaine. We'll see you in class tomorrow." She gave the others a very pointed look, and they all began hastily packing their books and laptops into backpacks and briefcases. Blaine offered Jade what he hoped was a grateful smile, but came out as more of a strangled grimace, as she patted him on the arm quickly and the four law students left without further ado.

As soon as the door had closed behind them, Blaine turned and crossed the room to the bedroom. He turned the handle, but frustratingly, it appeared that Kurt had locked the door. Feeling markedly more concerned he knocked quietly.

"Kurt?" he asked hesitantly. He pressed his ear to the door, and could hear Kurt's loud, pitiful wails of despair from inside the room. His call went unanswered so he tried again, louder and with a sharper knock on the door.

"G-go, go away!" cried Kurt.

"Kurt, baby, what happened?"

"Go away!" Kurt howled again, not answering him. Blaine's brow furrowed into a deep line of concern and worry: he hadn't heard Kurt cry like this in years.

"Baby, _whatever_ it is, we'll fix it – please, just let me in…" He found himself pacing outside the door as he waited on tenterhooks for any response. "_P__lease, _Kurt…" After what felt like an eternity, the door opened as abruptly as it had closed and Kurt hauled him inside, seemingly endless tear tracks streaking his otherwise beautiful face. Blaine instinctively wrapped his arms around the younger man, leading him over to the bed. Blaine's phone rang loudly from where it had been abandoned on the coffee table in the living room. He ignored it.

"Shh; shh …" Blaine soothed softly, as Kurt curled up into his lap on the bed. His body wracked with sobs, and Blaine could feel the front of his thick red sweater getting damp as Kurt cried. Blaine held him, his touch light but firm, for several minutes, whispering what he hoped were comforting platitudes into his lover's ear. Usually when Kurt was upset he calmed down fairly easily, so Blaine was at quite a loss to understand the fact that, for the moment at least, Kurt appeared to be quite inconsolable. and wouldn't – or couldn't – tell Blaine what on Earth had happened. He distantly heard his phone ring insistently once again, and once more he ignored it.

"I - *hic*- I runjfb evrebn," Kurt mumbled, his face still buried in Blaine's chest.

"What?" Blaine asked softly. Kurt pulled his face back about an inch from Blaine's chest to enable him to express himself more clearly.

"I _ruined _everything," he whimpered dramatically, before becoming overwrought with a fresh round of sobs and burying his face yet again into Blaine's sweater.

_Well, that makes everything very clear,_ Blaine thought to himself sardonically. He glanced up and saw the time of 4:12 blink at him from the clock on his nightstand, and slowly the reason for his boyfriend's upset began to dawn on him.

"Kurt…" he began tentatively. "Baby, you were supposed to work until 7 tonight. Did something happen at your internship?" Kurt began crying even harder at the mention of his job, confirming Blaine's theory, as his hands clawed almost painfully against Blaine's back, pulling him in as close as was possible. Until Kurt calmed down enough to be more coherent, there was little Blaine could do other than murmur soothing phrases and rub lightly on Kurt's back through his thick winter coat.

Finally Kurt's breathing regained some level of normalcy, and he pulled back from Blaine's chest once more. He wiped his eyes and even, amazingly, his nose with the sleeve of his coat, as Blaine looked on anxiously, waiting for Kurt to speak. Several tense moments passed in silence before Blaine couldn't contain himself any longer.

"Honey, _what happened_?" he asked a little desperately. Kurt hiccupped and looked up miserably at Blaine, he opened his mouth and closed it several times; seemingly unable to communicate whatever he wanted to say. Blaine's mind began searching for possibilities, hoping something he said would trigger Kurt to be able to tell him what on Earth was happening. "Did someone hurt you?" he ventured, searching Kurt's reddened eyes. Kurt shook his head in the negative and nodded yes at the same time, biting his lip in an attempt to keep it from trembling. Rage began bubbling in Blaine's heart – if someone had hurt Kurt…

Kurt took a slow, deep breath, and Blaine's phone beeped loudly from the other room, signaling the reception of a new voice message.

"I – I, I quit," confessed Kurt, his voice barely above a whisper. Blaine's eyes widened slightly in surprise – and also, were he to admit it, a little in relief. That didn't sound so bad to him. A different tone emitted from his phone as a text message arrived.

"Zeb…Zeb…" Kurt attempted to explain, his voice broken and trembling, "Zeb came on to me, and I-I rejected him." At this, he broke off to look at Blaine pleadingly, silently begging his boyfriend to believe him. _Of course I believe you_, thought Blaine silently. Kurt was the most loyal person he knew – always had been – and if Kurt was ever even _tempted _to be unfaithful, he fully believed that Kurt would stop it before things went that far and go talk to him, even if only to end their relationship. Kurt wouldn't cheat. Neither would Blaine.

"And, and, we argued and I – I quit," Kurt continued, still sobbing. "But, but now – oh God, Blaine: who's going to believe me? _I've ruined everything_. I'm never going to be able to find any work in fashion again!"

"Kurt; Kurt, that isn't true."

"You don't know that! _You_ don't know _anything_ about it, Blaine! Zeb _promised_ that that was exactly what would happen as I stormed out," spat Kurt angrily, his whole body tensing. Blaine tried to keep calm: he was pissed at Zeb, not Kurt, and he needed to keep his tone in check even as his boyfriend lashed out at him.

"I'm sorry. You're right; I don't work in your field – but Kurt, sweetheart, you – you did the right thing, baby." Kurt hiccupped and Blaine could the muscles in his arms and back relaxing, if only a little.

"I know. I know I did, but I should have been able to handle it differently – better. Everything; everything I've worked _so_ hard for all year is just ruined, just like that," moaned Kurt miserably, snapping his fingers together. Another beep signaling an incoming text reverberated through the living room. Whoever it was clearly _really_ wanted to get a hold of Blaine, but he decided that they would just have to wait. He raised a hand to Kurt's face to wipe away a fresh stream of hot tears as Kurt turned his head up a little, leaning into Blaine's touch.

"I love you, Kurt. We'll figure this out. We always do," Blaine promised, leaning forward and gently pressing his lips to Kurt's, pulling him into a slow, tender kiss. After a moment, Kurt kissed him back, before pulling away and letting out a shaky breath.

"Promise?" he asked hopefully, his voice small and childlike. Knowing full well that he should _not_ make promises he might not be able to keep, Blaine met Kurt's gaze confidently as a small, sad smile spread over his face.

"I promise."

* * *

><p><strong>2:08 PM<strong>

"You wanted to see me, Zeb?" Kurt asked curiously, holding his sketchbook and the note that he had found on his desk, requesting his presence in Zeb's office.

"Ah, yes, Kurt – come in please, and close the door," Zeb drawled, looking up from a thick stack of papers in one of the armchairs by his desk in the expansive office in the back of Marque Designs' studio. He gestured to the chair next to his and Kurt quickly sat down. He was a little confused and nervous – usually Zeb told him what he wanted before calling him into his office. Had he messed up somehow? "Kurt, I've been very impressed with your work lately," his boss informed him, crossing his legs and picking up his coffee mug to take a sip. Kurt felt himself flush: Zeb's moods were always so erratic, and one never knew if he was going to offer a generous compliment or a sharp criticism.

"Thank you, Zeb," he replied, trying to sound self-assured. He _was_ self-assured, really: he had been working to the bone all year, and was confident he was putting out the best work he'd ever done; but something about Zeb always made him question himself.

"I can appreciate how hard you've been working for me since September. You've shown a great deal of potential with your technical skills and _panache. _You're going to make a fine designer some day."

"Thank you Zeb: that means a lot coming from you. I really don't know what to say…" Zeb leaned in closer to Kurt, placing his hand on the younger man's knee. Kurt's eyes widened slightly at the touch, but he didn't pull away. Zeb had always been a little physical, putting his hands on Kurt's shoulders or arms to steer him when they were walking somewhere together, so maybe this was just another example of the same physicality.

"Succeeding in this business takes a near obsessive level of dogged determination and loyalty. You work harder than anyone else here: always responsive to my emails; staying late or coming in early if needed; being attentive to all my requests – and your loyalty has not gone _unnoticed_, by myself in particular." Zeb was smiling at him and Kurt tried to smile back, but there was something off about Zeb's smile – it was less of a grin and more of a…leer.

"I – I know: your gifts are always so generous…" Kurt recalled uncomfortably, remembering the handful of gift certificates and, one time, Broadway tickets, that Zeb had bestowed upon him over the course of his internship.

"That they are, and there is more to come. You are graduating in three months, Kurt. Marque Designs, and I, can take you places; offer you opportunities you could never dream of otherwise. The reason I've succeeded so greatly in this business is because I simply know what I want, and I'll do _whatever _it takes to get it…" His hand slid up Kurt's leg at this point, and Kurt found himself staring at the older man's hand, temporarily paralyzed. "Will _you_?" asked Zeb, his deep voice reduced to nothing more than a low growl. Suddenly, every nerve ending in Kurt's body seemed to react at once – he bolted upright into a standing position, Zeb's hand sliding smoothly from his pant leg.

"What exactly are you getting at, Zeb?" Kurt questioned, although he was sure of the answer, and it made his stomach turn. Zeb merely cocked an eyebrow at him in response. Kurt backed several feet away, eyeing the door.

"Don't play coy, Kurt. For a little twink you're smarter than that."

"I just wanted to design clothes," Kurt said quietly, to himself more than anything. Zeb stood up and, after just two steps with his long stride, was now just inches away from Kurt's face.

"Be a good boy, Kurt. _N__o one_ says no to me…" Zeb sneered, something oily in his tone. Kurt's mouth opened in repulsion, and suddenly he felt like he might be sick.

"You're disgusting!" he yelled, raising his hands to push Zeb away from him forcefully, his eyes narrowing in anger and loathing. "You're nothing more than a sad excuse for a satyr in a thousand dollar suit! I can't believe I wasted five months toiling away trying to impress you with my _talent_. Well screw that, because I quit!" Zeb stared at him furiously for a moment, before he broke out in a slightly deranged smile and laughed aloud.

"Go ahead and quit: see if you find _anyone __else_ in this industry that will have you, you foolish little imp," scoffed Zeb viciously. "You'll be back. _E__veryone_ comes back."

"Yeah? Well Kurt Elizabeth Hummel is _not_ 'everyone,' and you can go to Hell."

Kurt's heart pounded loudly in his ears as he took one last, disgusted look at his former supervisor; turned on his heel and bolted without another word.

Kurt couldn't think, couldn't feel, and couldn't really do anything. He barely avoided colliding with a woman on his way out the door from Marque Designs. His feet carried him on autopilot to the subway and back to his apartment. He missed Amy, the front desk clerk's friendly greeting entirely, as he passed her in the lobby of his building. The reality of what had just happened finally hit him as the elevator doors closed to take him up to the ninth floor, dread over what was to come seeping into his skin and settling deep in his bones. _I've ruined everything_. The thought played over and over again in his mind, blocking out everything else – even the fact that Blaine and four other people were sitting, stunned, around his coffee table.

* * *

><p><strong>4:16 PM<strong>

"I promise, Kurt: we'll figure something out." Kurt looked down at his hands sadly and began to pick at his nails, sighing heavily.

"I was getting credit for this internship and everything. Now it's going to fuck up my graduating in May."

"We'll – we'll go talk to your advisor about it – that's what they're there for, right; to advise?"

"They told us all at the beginning of the year: _w__e_are responsible for our internships, _we_ need to maintain them, and _we_are supposed to be able to handle any bumps in the road."

"I don't think this is what they meant, Kurt…"

Blaine's phone rang noisily from the living room for the third time in 10 minutes. Already frustrated, Kurt let out an aggravated roar at the noise.

"Who IS that?" grumbled Kurt irritably.

"Lemme just go turn it off, okay?" offered Blaine. Kurt nodded and reluctantly let Blaine detach himself from his grasp. Blaine kissed Kurt's forehead lightly and whispered his love once more, before getting up and off the bed and walking into the living room.

_Someone better be dead or something,_ thought Blaine darkly as he crossed the room and picked his phone up from the coffee table. Three missed calls, two new voice mails and three new text messages. All were from his friend, coffee house jam buddy and former college roommate, Amber Conti. _What the hell?_He opened the text message stream.

**Amber Conti**:_Answer your phone._

**Amber Conti:**_It's important Blaine. It's about Kurt. Answer your damn phone._

**Amber Conti:** _Where the hell are you, B? Listen to my VMs when you get this. I was there. I heard everything. I want to help Kurt. CALL ME._

Blaine stared down at the row of messages, completely nonplussed. _What; how?_ he questioned. With a shaky hand he pocketed his phone and walked into the kitchenette. It took him a few moments to remember Kurt occasionally mentioning seeing Amber at odd moments while he was working – he himself had only seen Amber two or three times this school year, her internship at Harpers Bazaar keeping her almost as busy as Kurt's job. Besides, it was tough for Blaine to keep in touch with his friends under the weight of law school.

He took a clean glass from their drying rack and filled it with water, before hurrying back to his and Kurt's bedroom. Kurt was sitting on the bed, looking relatively calm but still rather despondent. Tears were still fresh at the corners of his beautiful glasz eyes and his face was blotchy, but he tried to offer Blaine a watery smile as Blaine offered him the glass of water.

"Kurt, sweetheart, did you – did you see my friend Amber at your internship today?" Blaine asked hesitantly. Kurt's brow furrowed as he sipped.

"No….I don't think so, anyway. The only time I usually see her is at our monthly meetings with the fashion journalism people…" Kurt drifted off, deep in thought. "Wait – I _did_ bump into someone on my way out from Zeb's office though, I think … maybe, I can't be sure … everything was so _loud_… but why do you ask?"

Blaine showed Kurt the thread of messages from Amber, causing Kurt's mouth to open in surprise.

"See, Kurt? Amber saw what happened and she said she wants to help…" Blaine explained somewhat hopefully. Kurt looked highly skeptical that Amber could actually help this seemingly hopeless (in his eyes) situation, but agreed to at least listen to Amber's voicemails nevertheless.

_'__Blaine! Answer your phone: it's me, Amber. Blaine, I need to talk to you! I was at Marque Designs today to deliver something from my boss to Zeb Marque and when I went by Zeb's office I heard him arguing with Kurt. Blaine, I think he was trying to hit on Kurt! You've gotta believe Kurt when he tells you he wanted nothing to do with it because he didn't. It was nasty, dude. I was just about to step in when Kurt left all of a sudden. I tried to call out to him but I don't think he could hear me…damn it, Blaine, just call me back._'

Kurt stared at the phone in surprise as the message ended. He had been so upset when he ran out of the office that he had barely registered coming into contact with someone on his way out the door. Now that he concentrated on it, a vague memory of a swatch of curly auburn hair flashed into his mind. He seriously doubted that Amber would be able to keep him from being held back for graduation, but maybe, just maybe she could keep him from getting blacklisted from the fashion industry when word got out that he had dared to quit on Zeb Marque.

"We should call her back," commented Blaine, while Kurt was temporarily distracted as he glanced down, aghast, at the front of Blaine's sweater and the sleeve of his winter coat, both of which were stained with tears and – horror of horrors – _snot,_ from Kurt crying all over them. _Lovely_, thought Kurt.

"I ruined your shirt," he mumbled. Blaine resisted the strong urge to roll his eyes. He instead peeled off the sweater and began unbuttoning Kurt's coat.

"We'll take them to the dry cleaner. We have bigger fish to fry now, okay babe? Let's call Amber." Kurt hiccupped again as he let Blaine remove the coat and lay it on the bed next to his discarded sweater.

"Okay." Blaine pulled Kurt back into his arms and put the phone, which was still set to speaker from when they listened to Amber's message, in Kurt's lap. He pressed the call button and after a moment it began to ring. Amber picked up on the second ring.

"Finally! Blaine, Blaine; I've gotta tell you –" Blaine interrupted her.

"I know, Amber; I know. Kurt's here with me now. We got your messages, I'm sorry I didn't pick up the phone sooner –" Amber cut him off abruptly in return.

"It's fine: never mind that now. Can you come to Harpers' main office? I can't get out of here until 6:30 at the earliest, and I wanna talk about how we're going to cream that douche-bag Zeb Marque."

Blaine pressed a quick kiss to Kurt's temple as his boyfriend let out a watery giggle at Amber's sharp words. He slid out from behind Kurt and opened their closet, quickly fumbling around for another sweater, his winter coat and a spare coat for Kurt.

"We're on our way Amber – and thank you," Blaine said loudly, making sure that the speaker phone would catch his words.

"It's nothing. Just get your butts down here. I gotta go, my boss is on the other line and she's gonna have a freakin' cow if I keep her waiting." The call quickly disconnected with a click.

"Let me just splash some water on my face and then we can go, okay?" Kurt asked as he stood up on still shaky legs.

"Yeah. I'll make some coffee in the Keurig that we can take with us on the bus over to Harper's'."

"I love you, Blaine," Kurt told him with a sniff.

"I love you too, Kurt, and I'm so proud of you."

Twenty minutes later, after a short ride on the M31 bus, Kurt and Blaine arrived at Harpers' Bazaar Magazine's Manhattan office, located in Hearst Tower.

Kurt, who had recovered greatly from his earlier meltdown and was now just rather pissed off at the situation he found himself in, took Blaine by the hand and strode inside and right up to the desk of the receptionist.

"Good afternoon gentlemen, where can I direct you?" the cheerful older woman inquired.

"We're looking for Amber Conti – she's an intern in the fashion journalism department with Harpers' Bazaar."

The receptionist directed them up to the main Harpers' office, and informed them that interns shared an office towards the back left of the floor. A quick elevator trip later, and the two entered the office in search of Amber.

"Yeah, well you can tell him he'd better come up with something a hell of a lot more innovative than asymmetrical _zippers_ if he wants to have a featured editorial in the May issue," Ambers voice warned from behind a glass door. She spun around in her chair as Kurt and Blaine cautiously knocked on the door to the office, which was thankfully temporarily empty of other interns. "Frederico, honey; I gotta go – I'm being called into a meeting. I'll talk to you later. Ciao." She pressed a button behind her ear to disconnect her headset, offered the two boys a steely smile and stood up to let them in. "Blaine! God, I've missed you kid. I'm sorry we're meeting under such…argh-worthy circumstances," she joked as she gave Blaine a hug, followed quickly by Kurt. They followed her back into the office and took seats in the empty chairs near her desk, as she shut and locked the door behind them.

"It's nice to see you too, Amber. Thanks for offering your help." Kurt nodded in agreement with Blaine's sentiment.

"Well," she began, looking off to the side of the room, "you're my friend, and Kurt's not the first intern who's had to deal with dirtbag perv bosses like Zeb Marque."

"How much did you hear?" Kurt asked, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

"Enough. I was on my way into his office when I heard something about your 'loyalty to him' not going unnoticed," she recalled, scowling.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," admitted Kurt softly.

"Well I'll tell you what we're gonna do," she said confidently. "First we're gonna get this straightened out with your school, and then we're gonna nail his ass to the wall. If FIT is anything like Fordham, there will be some serious ethical infractions for Zeb Marque for _even_ thinking about hitting on you, much less dangling your job and future success in front of you, dependent on your response to his… advances. That man always made my skin crawl," she continued, "and Blaine mentioned how he was working you into the ground all the time."

"Well the fashion industry is pretty cut-throat –" Kurt protested, before being cut off with a raised eyebrow.

"You think the fashion journalism industry isn't just as cut-throat? It is, but Zeb was totally over the line. Interns are supposed to be there to learn, not to be slaves or worker bees for free labor."

"I – I was thinking about calling my advisor to make an appointment to meet with her tomorrow," Kurt confessed, smiling softly at Blaine.

"Let me know what time and I'll go with you," offered Amber immediately.

"I don't want to mess up your schedule just because I screwed up."

"You did _not_ screw up, Kurt," countered Blaine with a frown.

"In any case, you'll need someone to back up your story," reminded Amber, "and I'm happy to help. I don't work tomorrow and I only have class until 11, so as long as you make your appointment after that I'll be there."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, thank you Amber," seconded Blaine. He wondered for a second if Amber had ever thought about going to law school, since it certainly appeared as though she'd fit in.

"After we meet with your advisor and get that straightened out, we can see where we wanna go from there. I'd be happy to write a scathing exposé about the lecherous nature of one Zeb Marque, but we'd need more evidence than one conversation between you and him," mused Amber.

"Let's just see how tomorrow goes…" Kurt suggested, looking markedly calmer than Blaine had seen him since he came home that afternoon.

They talked for a while more, and after spending several minutes eviscerating Zeb Marque's character to satisfactory levels, the conversation drifted off as Blaine and Amber caught each other up on their lives. Before long, however, Amber's phone was ringing again, and she shot them an apologetic glance as they let themselves out so that she could speak with her boss, who was traveling in Milan at the moment.

"Kurt, honey, are you okay?" Blaine asked later that evening, as the two of them sat on the couch, looking at the TV but not really watching whatever trashy reality show was playing across the screen. Kurt opened his mouth, closed it, and thought for a moment before speaking.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm upset and I'm angry; but I'm not like what I was before. This just seems so sudden though. I keep thinking there was something I should have seen; something I should have known; some way I could have acted differently so that this wouldn't have happened."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Kurt," assured Blaine as he pulled Kurt in closer to him.

"I know that; it's just going to take a while to believe it. Ugh, the whole thing was just so scary and revolting…"

"You have no idea how much I want to march down there and beat the living daylights out of Zeb Marque," spat Blaine with a scowl."Just like when…" H drifted off suddenly and looked away. Kurt glanced up at him, confused.

"Just like when? What are you talking about?"

"I know things are different now, but what happened with you today reminded me of everything with Karofsky and the locker room kiss right after we first met," Blaine admitted, calling Dave by his last name for the first time in years. Kurt blinked in surprise.

"Oh. Honestly, I didn't even think of that. I can see why you did, of course, and what happened with Dave when we were in high school _was_terrifying for me at the time – but when I could look back on it, after Dave and I made peace, I could accept that while he was totally out of line, that kiss was the result of a confused and desperate soul. Zeb, today, he was so…in control, demanding; _entitled_. Like he could just take anything he wanted and I owed it to him to go along…" The words fell from Kurt's lips like poison. Blaine shook his head in disgust at Zeb's actions, but he also couldn't help but be amazed at the inner strength of his lover. After all this time Kurt was still blowing him away.

"Can we talk about something else now? I'd really rather not think about having to deal with my advisor tomorrow." Blaine smiled warmly at his boyfriend.

"Anything you want, beautiful…"

"What's your favorite song from _The Book of Mormon_?" asked Kurt; referencing the last Broadway play they had seen together. Blaine pursed his lips, frowning in exaggerated thought.

"Hmm, that's a tough one, Kurt…"

* * *

><p>The following morning, Kurt called his school's main directory line and was transferred to the office of his internship advisor, Helena Roosevelt. As the internships were almost entirely run by the students and whatever companies they were connected to, Kurt had only met with her once before – just at the beginning of the fall semester to fill out some paperwork. He made an appointment with the office secretary to meet with Ms. Roosevelt at 3pm that afternoon. Blaine texted Amber and she said she would meet them there.<p>

Blaine offered to skip his morning class to stay home with Kurt, who didn't have any classes on Thursdays this semester, but Kurt assured him he was okay and was going to take the time to catch up on a little sleep and see if he could make plans to meet Mercedes and/or Rachel for lunch, as he hadn't seen them since returning early from the Christmas break. So, after another round of reassurances from Kurt, Blaine pulled on his winter coat and headed out into the snow.

Kurt tried to go back to sleep, but he was too restless thinking about the upcoming meeting with his advisor. What if she didn't believe him? What was he going to do if he couldn't graduate on time? He already had a pretty hefty pile of student loans waiting for him – the idea of having to pay for another year and trying to find another internship or taking extra classes made his heart sink. He thought about calling his parents, but decided he'd wait until after the meeting, so that when his dad flipped his lid about what had happened, Kurt would hopefully already have a plan. Having a plan always made him feel better.

Kurt settled on the plan of eating breakfast, turning up his latest Lady Gaga playlist to full blast and cleaning their apartment until it was a more reasonable time to ask Mercedes and Rachel to lunch.

Two hours later the apartment was spotless and Kurt had sent texts to both Mercedes and Rachel enquiring about lunch. Rachel had texted back immediately saying she was in rehearsal until four but would love a rain check. About ten minutes after that his phone beeped with a reply from Mercedes.

**Mercedes**:_I'd love to, where and what time? Don't you have your internship tho?_

**Kurt**:_I'm not working today. Wanna meet at that little deli across the street from our old Yoga place, say noonish?_

**Mercedes**: _I'll see you there. Is everything okay? Don't you dare lie to Mama' Cedes…_

Kurt shook his head at his phone and smiled. Even through text messages, Mercedes always seemed to be able to read him – almost as well as Blaine or his dad.

**Kurt**:_No, but we can talk about it at lunch. I'm glad we're finally hanging out._

**Mercedes**: _Me too. I'll see you soon._

Kurt straightened out their bookshelf, the contents of which had seemed to grow exponentially as soon as Blaine had begun law school, once more before picking out some finishing accessories for his outfit, pulling on his spare winter coat and putting the snot sweater and coat in a bag to take to the dry cleaners on the way to meet Mercedes for lunch.

After a guarantee, in writing, from the dry cleaner that Blaine's sweater and Kurt's winter coat would survive, Kurt made his way over to meet Mercedes. She waited for him just inside the door of the delicatessen, wearing a sleek black coat that was both flattering and utilitarian for the harsh New York winter. She studied his face as he entered the door.

"What happened?" she demanded instantly.

"Sheesh Mercedes; can we get our sandwiches first?"

"Do I need to kill the Warbler?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that. Blaine is just as wonderful as always."

Mercedes relented on her interrogation long enough for them to order their lunch and sit down at a booth. She looked at Kurt expectantly, so Kurt sighed and launched directly into a retelling of what had occurred the day before. Thankfully she let him speak from start to finish without interruption. Mercedes and Kurt both loved the playful banter and constant interruptions that usually peppered their conversations, but after several years of best-friend-hood each knew when to just sit and listen.

"…so now I'm just killing time until Blaine, Amber and I have to go talk to my advisor and she can tell me I'm not going to graduate on time…" he finished, picking at his sandwich.

"The nerve of that guy!" seethed Mercedes angrily as she took in all Kurt was saying. "I'm so proud of you for standing up to him Kurt; divas like us just cannot tolerate that kind of nonsense. That man must be some kind of fool to think his cock and bull routine was going to fly with you."

"Indeed. I was really upset about it yesterday, and I'm still upset now, but I'm more angry than hurt anymore." Mercedes' scowl relented a bit and she placed her hand on top of Kurt's.

"I'm sure it'll all work out." Kurt smiled back at her.

"I hope so." Having finished the long tale, Kurt realized he had neglected to inquire about how Mercedes was doing lately. That needed to be corrected immediately. "Thank you for listening, but 'Cedes how are _you_?"

"Other than the fact Quinn has officially turned into Bridezilla, I'm fine. So glad to be graduating in May – and oh! I forgot to tell you, I have an audition for a commercial next month." Kurt's face lit up in delight.

"Really? That's amazing. Where? Doing what?" he demanded hurriedly. She grinned back at him.

"It's for a toothpaste commercial. I'm really excited about it."

"I'm sure you'll nail it."

"Never doubt the chocolate thunder."

"I wouldn't dare."

"In fact, if it weren't for Quinn's obsessive wedding planning – and singing; she won't shut up – everything would be going grand. School is good; Jay and I are good; hopefully this audition goes well…I just want to murder Quinn in her bed every night; no big deal."

"Is she really that bad?" Kurt asked, his upper lip curling, as he could imagine that she was.

As if on cue. the doors to the delicatessen chimed open once more and after a moment the pleasant, commercial singing voice of one Quinn Fabray filled the small space.

_Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married.__  
><em>_Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married.__  
><em>_Gee, I really love you and we're, gonna get married.__  
><em>_Goin' to the chapel of love._

"Lord, how did she find me?" groaned an exasperated Mercedes as Quinn, oblivious, paid for her apple juice and waved towards their table, turning to join them. "I play one Motown record in our apartment, and now am forever punished by hearing that song morning, noon and night."

"Kurt! Mercedes! Hi!" said Quinn excitedly as she pulled up a chair to join them.

"Hi Quinn," replied Kurt. "How are you?"

"How am I? I am fantastic. I just got done looking at flowers for my wedding and…" She delved into a very enthusiastic reminiscence of her trip to the florist. Kurt, who loved planning weddings, or any formal occasion really, joined in the conversation whole heartedly, but he couldn't help but smile sympathetically at Mercedes who looked like she was calling upon all her inner strength not to deck her roommate right then and there.

"…And Kevin and I agree that we should move before the wedding so we're not going crazy trying to find a place at the last minute," she finished breathlessly, having moved on from flower choices to the newly chosen reception location and then on to her and Kevin's future home.

"So is Kevin going to move in with you and Mercedes, or are you going to move to his place or…what are you guys going to do?" Kurt asked curiously. Mercedes, upon hearing her name, looked up from her iPhone game of Angry Birds.

"We're still trying to figure that out actually. Jay and I have been talking a lot about the possibility of moving in together, and Quinn and Kevin want to move in together of course – but there is no way the four of us are going to live in our tiny little place." Quinn nodded.

"Yeah, that just wouldn't be a good idea. Mercedes' and my lease is up for renewal at the end of May, just like Kevin and Jay's, so we need to figure it out before then. I really don't want to rush anything: I haven't the time to look for apartments right now between my Miss New York duties, school _and_ planning our wedding, but I want our new place to be perfect." Kurt was suddenly struck with an idea that just might solve a dilemma he and Blaine could be facing come summer.

"You know…" he began, "Blaine applied to a couple of summer associate jobs in D.C. this summer – we're still waiting to hear back, but if he does get one he and I will probably spend the summer in D.C."

"You don't want to be in New York for the summer?" Mercedes asked, looking slightly hurt.

"I love New York, and I love the extra time the summer allows me to spend with all of you guys," he assured her. "But after all the craziness of this year, frankly I think I could use a little break from the big apple. Which leads me to my idea…Quinn – If Blaine and I weren't here for the summer we'd need someone to sublet our place because I absolutely do not want to give up that apartment, or have Blaine pay rent for something we're not using. Would you and Kevin be interested in subletting it from us so you could have some extra time to look for permanent apartments with Kevin over the summer?" Both young women broke out in wide grins at this prospect.

"If you and Kev moved into Kurt and Blaine's place. Jay could move in with me in ours right away!" Mercedes observed excitedly.

"Oh Kurt you're a genius, that would be amazing – we wouldn't have to deal with any lease issues and I wouldn't have to worry about settling on some hovel to live in simply for the sake of time!" Quinn agreed.

"Well, it's all dependent on whether Blaine is offered a job outside the city, but he should find out about it soon – thankfully summer jobs for law students have quite a speedy turn around as far as application status – and Gaga knows I'd rather sublet to you guys then some _stranger_…" mused Kurt with a wince as he pictured various vaguely ill-intentioned people wandering about his living room.

"Keep me posted, because having that hiccup figured out would make my life so much easier – I'd finally be able to really focus on my wedding plans..." Quinn told him dreamily.

"If _this_ isn't focusing, I shudder to think what _does _qualify," grumbled Mercedes under her breath.

* * *

><p>"Hi, my name is Kurt Hummel and I have an appointment with Helena Roosevelt," Kurt stated slightly nervously as Blaine and Amber stood behind him in the FIT internship office.<p>

"Yeah, ok, Kurt Hummel, got it – she'll be ready for you in just a minute," the secretary replied.

A few minutes later a middle aged woman with sandy hair pulled into a tight bun poked her head out into the lobby and called Kurt into her office. Blaine gave Kurt a reassuring squeeze, and Amber said she'd be ready whenever Kurt needed her, if he needed her at all.

"I see you brought…guests," observed the advisor as Kurt sat down. Kurt wasn't sure how to reply, and the woman apparently didn't expect him to, as she quickly spoke again. "Typically our students show a little more…independence at this level, so may I ask what brings you to my door today?"

"Well, well you see I've been interning with Zeb Marque of Marque Designs since early September and…" Kurt quickly explained the problems he had encountered with Zeb, including, but not entirely limited to, the other man's sexual harassment of him.

"That's a very serious accusation you're making Mr. Hummel," his advisor stated sternly as he finished. Kurt shifted uncomfortably in the hard wooden chair he had been offered.

"I understand that – I wouldn't make something like this up," he reasoned. She sighed.

"Sometimes the pressure of the semester becomes simply too much for a student to bare, and they begin looking for an escape route…things happen, people say things they don't really mean," she ventured. Kurt called upon every ounce of patience he possessed not to bite the woman's head off for her veiled accusation. "Unfortunately for such students," she continued, studying him through her bifocals, "as you know we do not customarily give out single semester credits for an uncompleted internship – so quitting now would be most foolhardy if you desire to graduate on time."

"I'm aware, but I'm telling you the truth Ms. Roosevelt," he sighed, feeling heavier by the second. "Amber Conti - my boyfriend's friend and an intern with Harpers' Bazaar - accidentally heard the whole thing."

"Your boyfriend's friend you say? Not exactly the best witness Mr. Hummel. Zeb Marque has an excellent reputation, and comes highly recommended." She opened her desk drawer and pulled out two files – one labeled FIT16Hummel, and the other, FIT-DSRMarq. She opened Kurt's first and flipped through it. "Hmm, though I see you also come highly recommended – I hadn't realized you were the same student whose work was spotlighted at the showcase last July – very nice."

"Thank you," Kurt acknowledged her politely, hoping that this conversation was perhaps taking a turn for the better. Ms. Roosevelt paused to push up her glasses higher up on her long nose before closing Kurt's file and opening Zeb's. She leafed through the first few pages.

"Yes, yes, all good things – his work quality, level of nuance and innovation; like I said – an excellent reputation," she observed, continuing to look through Zeb's file. "…studied at the fashion institute in Paris, signed a development deal with…wait just a moment." She broke off and began scanning the page in front of her."Would you … Mr. Hummel, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?" she finally asked a minute later.

"Um, sure thing…" he replied, feeling small and stupid for thinking this would help.

Amber and Blaine looked up at him expectantly from the lobby as he reentered the room but he just threw up his hands.

"I have no idea…she just asked me to leave for a minute." Kurt sat down in the seat next to Blaine, and let Blaine take his hand and rub circles into the palm. After several moments the door to Ms. Roosevelt's office opened once more.

"Miss – Amber, is it? Would you be so kind as to join me in my office?" she asked. Amber gave Kurt a reassuring thumbs-up and squared her shoulders before walking the short distance and disappearing behind Ms. Roosevelt's door.

The minutes ticked by. Kurt tried to remain optimistic, but worries about the possibility of this trip somehow coming back to bite Amber, who was trying to help, in the ass flitting through his mind. He tried to smile at Blaine but his gaze was faltering and unsure. Seeing his distress, Blaine leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Kurt's.

"It'll be okay."

"I hope so."

"Mr. Hummel?" The slightly stiff voice of Ms. Roosevelt broke the silence of the room and Kurt looked up at her. Amber poked her head out from behind the advisor and grinned at Kurt. Kurt glanced at Blaine once more before standing up and rejoining Amber and Ms. Roosevelt in the small office.

"Mr. Hummel, I'm not sure if you are aware, but this is my first year serving as the advisor for senior internships…" she began, clasping her hands together. Kurt looked at her blankly as he waited for her to continue. _Where was this going_? "When I was hired, just days before the start of term, I was more concerned about filing everyone's paperwork correctly rather than thoroughly investigating the files of each of our approved internship locations and supervisors."

"Um…" Kurt began unsurely when she paused once more.

"It would appear that I owe you a most sincere apology, Mr. Hummel. Just now I had the opportunity to look at Zeb Marque's file beyond the first page, and it would appear that over the past five years of being an internship supervisor, Zeb Marque has had three other sexual harassment complaints filed against him. It is beyond me why my predecessor neglected to rescind Mr. Marque's approval as an internship supervisor, and I am also appalled that it would appear that though the complaints were filed with this office, nothing ever came of them."

"So…so, you believe me?" Kurt asked hesitantly.

"Yes. In light of the past evidence, what you told me, and the fact that a witness backs up your story, there is little doubt in my mind that Mr. Marque's actions were quite unethical."

"So, what happens now?"

"Well…" she began, pushing her glasses up her nose once more. "It is true that we customarily do not grant students credit for the partial completion of their internships…" She raised a hand to quiet Kurt as he opened his mouth to protest. "However, since you were not at fault for your internship ending, I am going to request that you receive credit for your time last semester."

"What about this semester? I'll be three credits short of graduating if I don' receive credit for this semester and it's February – all the other classes have started." She frowned at him, deep in thought.

"To penalize you in response to this incident would be most troubling. I will need to speak to the Dean but I will do my best to create a suitable alternative so that you are able to graduate on time, though I cannot make any guarantees. I need to make some calls, but I will be in touch. Are you interested in taking legal action against Mr. Marque?"

"N-no, I don't think so, I just don't want any other students sent to him."

"Alright, please let me know if you change your mind and rest assured Mr. Hummel, this school will _never_ employ Mr. Marque as an internship supervisor again as long as I have anything to say about it."

"Good." Kurt paused and looked up at the woman: despite her stern demeanor, he could tell that behind her glasses she had kind crinkly eyes. "Thank you for believing me, Ms. Roosevelt."

"You did the right thing Mr. Hummel, and I applaud your courage."

Kurt and Amber left Ms. Roosevelt's office soon after and brought Blaine up to speed on the way out of the university. After thanking Amber once more for all of her help the two young men said goodbye and Amber left to hop on the subway towards her house in Jersey City.

Two days, and a lot of nail biting later, Kurt's cell phone rang. Ms. Roosevelt informed him that the school had rescinded Zeb's approval as an internship supervisor, had contacted the past students offering apologies for not taking actions regarding their complaints – and that FIT would be filing a formal complaint against Marque Designs with the City of New York, ensuring that no other students from any other colleges would ever be able to have internship agreements with Marque Designs again. Kurt breathed a sigh of relief as she continued, letting him know that a former professor of his (and Kurt's personal favorite professor) Melinda Bosworth had, upon learning of the graduation dilemma, offered Kurt a three credit independent study with her if Kurt was interested.

Kurt told Ms. Roosevelt that yes; of course, he was interested in the independent study and would contact Professor Bosworth straight away to hash out the details. She thanked him once more for bringing this to her attention and told him just to let her know if there was anything else she or FIT could do to mollify the situation. Kurt was just glad he wouldn't have to see Zeb again, and relieved that it appeared he would be able to graduate on time after all.

"So it's over?" Blaine asked later that evening after Kurt filled him in between bites of endive salad and grilled tuna.

"Yeah, I talked to Melinda and she's going to let me have an independent study where I can pick any type of clothing, do research and design a small collection of pieces devoted to it. I picked scarves."

"I'm sure it'll be wonderful, Kurt," Blaine assured, leaning forward to give Kurt a quick peck. Aare you sure you're okay with the idea of spending the summer in D.C.? You'll have just graduated and it isn't exactly the fashion capital of the world…"

"I'm sure. Nothing tops New York City for fashion, don't get me wrong, but I did a little research on D.C. and there is more going on fashion-wise there than you might think … plus, I am really looking forward to getting a little break from the city that doesn't include spending my summer in Lima."

"Okay," agreed Blaine hesitantly. He stood up from the table and crossed the kitchenette to pull an envelope from his messenger bag. "Because…I was offered a job as a summer associate with the American Civil Liberties Union…" Kurt's eyes lit up and he leapt to his fee.

"Really! Blaine, honey, that's wonderful!" He pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug.

"The envelope came in the mail the day everything went down with Zeb, but I only opened it this afternoon."

"I'm so proud of you honeybee." Blaine kissed him.

"I'm proud of us." Kurt grinned broadly and motioned with his hands dramatically.

"Hey D.C. – Kurt and Blaine are comin' your way!" he giggled in a sing-song voice, referencing one of his favorite musicals, _Gypsy._Blaine laughed as well, and wrapped his arms around the slightly taller man once more.

"Let's get through the rest of the school year first," he suggested with a wink. Kurt looked slightly deflated but smiled anyway.

"Right. Graduation first – and then, our nation's capital!" Blaine looked up at his lover as Kurt ruffled Blaine's hair. _Ye__ah_, he thought, _Kurt's going to be just fine_.

I **know, I know. Angst AND no smut? What is wrong with me? I thought about including some, but it just didn't' fit in with the story line at all and though I may write Klaine smut scenes with a focus more on naughty actions rather than 'oh darling make love to my soul' romance (oh god was that as uncomfortable for you as it was for me? Yikes) – I just couldn't reason that Kurt OR Blaine was really in the mood during the Zeb Marque Showdown. Thankfully, the Zeb storyline has pretty much reached its crescendo and I think smut/fluff lovers will be very pleased with the next several chapters - BUT I have not forgotten about Amber's "nail him to the wall" comment, and neither has she, Kurt, Detroit or Gil...**

**Credit for the confrontation scene goes to inspiration from the movie **_**Legally Blonde**_**, and the song Quinn sings is "Going to the Chapel" by the Dixie Cups. I own neither, which I'm sure is *shocking***

**One last thing – I am very pleased to announce that I now have a tumblr! I have *NO* idea how tumblr works but I'm figuring it out! It's silly that links don't work here – but if you remove the brackets and spaces you can find me at [blurtitoutalready] [.] [tumblr] [.] [com]. I'll be posting the story there as well as here from now on, my own random life observations and…if there is interest tidbits of ITT info, spoilers and extras that don't find their way into the main story. Follow Me?**

**Review button is below lovelies. OH – October 4th, 2016. Remember that date.**


	12. Chapter 8

**I'm trying to make these authors notes shorter – I really am. Anyway, thanks for the reviews of the last chapter – I'm glad we could all make our way through the angst of the chapter and onto the fluff/smut fest that will be Summer 2016. I am pleased to announce that BM22OwenstinaKlaine4evah **_**and **_**Mardie 186 are the winners of the prompt contest – though I will wait to elaborate how their prompts will be utilized though I will not incorporate them until chapter 9 as they will take place in D.C.**

**EleanorThePen – I love your dinner party idea! Like, A LOT. I **_**will **_**make that happen, I'm just not sure when. So I suppose you win the prompt contest too, but just not immediately. I do *love* the idea though. Thank you as well for your comment about how I portray Kurt, that's huge for me.**

**Thank you for the reviews, favorites, alerts, follows on tumblr ([blurtitoutalready][.][tumblr][.][com]) and last but certainly not least, for reading. Thanks as well to darling beta and all of the hard work she puts into beta-ing this fic.**

**Ok – on****to Klaine.**

May 8th, 2016

**Detroit Harrison: **_It's official. Z pulled out of the show, and he's on a 'leave of absence' from Marque Designs._

**Kurt: **_Really?_

**Detroit Harrison: **_Yeah. After all of his models quit he didn't really have a choice. I heard he's gonna go spend a couple months in Budapest b4 trying to make his big comeback and shit but whatever._

**Kurt: **_That's crazy. Who knew 4 amateurs/students could effectively ruin one of fashion's biggest people? I still can't believe you, Gil and Amber did all this for me._

**Detroit Harrison: **_Amateur or not – fashion people get shit done yo'! N you're Tina's boy, and she's my boo, so I got ur back._

**Detroit Harrison: **_+ the power of Twitter._

**Kurt: **_I know. Amber's tweets were hilarious. As awesome as everything you guys have done is - I'll be glad when B and I get to D.C. and I don't have to think about Zeb Marque ever again._

**Detroit Harrison: **_I feel you – dude was a dirt bag. I gtg, I'm omw to get a shape up before the show next week. Hey can you txt Gil and give her my # so I can talk to her about those silver arm band things she's making?_

**Kurt: **_No problem. Ttyl._

With a contented sigh, Kurt forwarded Detroit's request and his number to Gil before locking his phone and stowing it in his pocket. The last three months had flown by – FIT had officially rescinded Zeb's status as an internship location/supervisor; Amber had spearheaded a very effective blog and Twitter campaign asking for people to boycott his work and clothing (Kurt did feel rather bad for Zeb's other employees, but now that Zeb had stepped down the boycott would end); Gil and Detroit had used their connections to the fashion industry to help promote the campaign: all in all, it would appear that Zeb had indeed been figuratively 'nailed to the wall.'

Without the frustration and pressure of Zeb Marque in his mind 24/7, Kurt had been able to focus on making the last couple of months of his undergraduate career both productive and enjoyable. That wasn't to say it was exactly stress free – Blaine was buried under piles of reading and research the majority of the time, Kurt's classes remained as challenging as ever, and a lot of the logistics had still to be worked out before the two young men were ready to relocate to D.C. for the summer. That being said, Kurt and Blaine had made a point to spend lots of time with both their friends and each other, savoring their last few months in New York for a while together.

Kurt looked up from his spot on their couch as he heard Blaine's keys jingling in the front door lock.

"Hey!" Blaine greeted him brightly, slipping through the door and closing it after him.

"Hi! How'd everything go with the landlord and Kevin?" asked Kurt as he stood up to give his boyfriend a hello kiss. Blaine returned the kiss several times before answering.

"It went fine. We're out of here on the 28th and Quinn and Kevin are moving in on the 30th. I got the mail forwarding thing all sorted out, and Kev's just going to give me money on the first of the month for the rent, water, electricity, internet and stuff, which is fine because it's already taken out of my account through direct deposit anyway."

"It looks like we've got everything covered then. Thank you." Blaine snaked his arm around the younger man and pulled him in close, kissing him again softly.

"You're welcome," he whispered between kisses. "I am, after all, at your service," he continued, his voice low and seductive.

"Is that so?" teased Kurt. He kissed Blaine again, his tongue sliding briefly into the other mans mouth. "I'll definitely want to keep that in mind for later, but right now we've gotta go." Blaine pouted as Kurt pulled away.

"Go? Where? Why?" he whined. Kurt rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"New Directions is competing at Nationals today, remember? Mr. Schue sent us the tickets _weeks_ ago." Blaine let out a playfully overdramatic sigh before smiling again.

"I know. I didn't forget: I was just kidding because I could spend all day here just kissing you."

"I'm glad we don't have a roommate," observed Kurt as he took Blaine's hand to lead him out the door, "because if we did they'd probably fall over and die from cuteness overload."

"I'm glad we don't have a roommate," countered Blaine, "because if we did then we probably couldn't have had sex on the kitchen table like that last night."

"Excellent point. Which reminds me: I need to bleach practically every surface in our house before my parents get here next week, and then probably again before Quinn and Kevin move in."

The elevator took them down from the ninth floor of their building out onto the street, and the two made the short walk over to the nearest subway, hopping on and heading to the theater where the Show Choir National Championships would be taking place.

"So has Finn got everything figured out for when he moves here in…three weeks?" Blaine asked as they rode along.

"No. Tina has a friend who works for a magazine that has connections to people interested in sports publications, but Finn's being a bonehead about contacting her about it. He's still going on about wanting to figure everything out by himself because he's a 'leader'…" Blaine frowned. Finn's desires to be a good leader all the time were endearing, but sometimes he ended up alienating himself from everyone in the process.

"Maybe he and Tina can talk when he's here for graduation?" Kurt sighed.

"I hope so. He'll have to figure _something_out. Rachel is spending her summer working at that camp again and going on auditions, but they'll need extra money to attempt to fill the bottomless pit that is Finn's appetite." Kurt paused for a long moment. "It's so weird. Finn's finally going to be in New York permanently, and we're leaving." Blaine caught the subtle sadness in Kurt's tone.

"I know you miss him, he's your brother after all. Are you sure you're good with us going to D.C?" Kurt gave Blaine's hand, which he was still holding, a squeeze.

"Yes. Absolutely – and Finn will still be here when we get back, as long as he and Rachel don't kill each other, right?"

"Right." The display board indicated they were only one stop away from their destination. "I'm amazed this is our first time going to see Nationals, since Glee Club was so important to both of us in High School."

"I know; it's funny how life gets in the way. I'm so excited though," squealed Kurt as he clapped his hands in his joy. "New Directions already made it through to the top ten, so we'll just see the top 10 groups and then they'll decide who wins. I really hope they win! I mean it's great that they placed, but it would be so amazing to watch them win."

"That would be pretty awesome. It was incredible to watch you guys win up there your senior year. It's too bad we only really know one of the kids in New Directions though."

"Blaine it might be a little creepy if we knew a bunch of the _high school kids_in New Directions now that neither you nor I live in Lima anymore." Blaine pouted at him.

"You're always so worried about being creepy," he teased, wrapping an arm around Kurt's waist as they exited the subway. "I'm just saying, I'm excited too. Especially to see Kei perform – and get to perform as Kei rather than under her birth name."

"I know. Gil and I were so thrilled when we got her email a couple months back about coming out to her parents and Emma. It took her parents a little while to wrap their heads around it, but once they met with Emma and got all those resources Gil had sent to her they agreed to take Kei to see that gender specialist in Columbus and – well, it's just like my dad was I guess. They're a little unsure, but they have their hearts in the right place." Kurt paused to give Blaine's hand a squeeze.

"I remember when you got that email, what a relief that was," recalled Blaine as he thought about how much his parents still struggled with accepting him – he couldn't even imagine if he had needed to come out as trans to them.

"And Emma made sure that Will and Figgins were educated and prepared for everything so that if - and when – Kei wanted to start dressing differently, or changing pronouns or whatever at school they could protect her," Kurt continued. "Now that the school year is almost over and she's about to graduate, she thought now would be a good time. From what she's told me school has been…difficult, but most of the glee club has been really supportive and on board with everything."

"Good." Blaine handed in their tickets at the ticket booth and received two programs in return. "Gil's joining us right?"

"Yeah, she should be here any minute now. Rachel texted me when we were on our way in saying they're running a minute late but she'll be right here." Kurt answered, flipping open his program. New Directions had placed 6th in the first round but the field was wide open now that there were only 10 competitors left – the trophy could reasonably go to anyone.

"Man, I didn't expect show choir competitions to be quite this epic…" mused Gil as she walked towards them in the crowded lobby of the theater.

"I tried to tell her – this stuff is serious as surgery; almost as serious as my upcoming audition!" Rachel added as she scurried behind Gil's wide stride.

"Yes, yes, we _know _Rachel – you're auditioning for Les Mis in June. We're very excited for you," recited Kurt exaggeratedly, using the same calm 'talking to a small child' tone he was now accustomed to, as he had repeated that very phrase at least 30 times since Rachel had informed them of her upcoming audition two weeks ago. Kurt found that if he varied from his response in the slightest Rachel would retell the entire story of her audition process up until this very moment, and after the first dozen or so times it was rather trying.

"How're you doing Gil?" Blaine asked politely.

"I'm good. Glad we finally got rid of buzzkill Marque and – graduation next week!" she replied happily, handing her ticket in and also receiving a program. "When do these, what are they called again? New Inspirations?"

"New Directions," corrected Blaine.

"Right. When do they go on?"

"They're fourth. We should probably go in – it's going to start soon," answered Kurt, leading the way inside. "Will!" he called excitedly once he spotted his former teacher sitting near the front of the theater. All of the show choirs had already been instructed to wait back stage and in dressing rooms.

"Kurt! Rachel! Blaine!" called Will fondly as the four made their way towards him. Will exchanged hugs with everyone and greeted Gil politely when Kurt introduced her.

"How are you Will? How are Emma and Tabitha and little Jack?"

"Everyone is great. Little Jack isn't so little anymore though – he'll be walking any day now, and Tabitha is already dancing around the living room," he told them proudly, pulling out his wallet to show a picture of a little girl with curly red hair and an infant boy with wisps of blonde hair and very chubby cheeks.

"Adorable," commented Blaine, stealing a glance at Kurt, as a brief image of Kurt holding their future children (who were very fuzzily outlined but definitely child-shaped) flashed into his mind. He took a breath to steady himself as Kurt caught his eye and smiled warmly at him while holding the photo.

The lights flashed indicating the show was about to start, so the four said goodbye to Mr. Schuester and found their own seats. An older woman in a lavender pants suit came out on to the stage, thanked them for coming and began announcing the competing choirs. The first three acts were really good, the third act, Teenage Scream, was definitely going to give everyone a run for their money. Finally the announcer reappeared on stage and introduced the show choir from Lima, Ohio – the New Directions.

Kurt, Rachel, Gil and Blaine all clapped enthusiastically as the back of the stage was illuminated and the fourteen New Directions members slowly turned around and began singing a group song. Kurt couldn't place the song so he guessed that this was another original. Thankfully, the song was really, really good. The beat, which was fast and catchy, allowed the group to show off their best dancers (though Kurt didn't think anyone would ever top Brittany and Mike, despite being ever so slightly biased) as well as showcase many diverse voices. It took him a moment to spot Kei, who looked rather different now than when Kurt had first seen her almost a year before, but he found her singing along with a wide grin on her face as she danced in perfect time with the other members of the group. Kurt thought she looked beautiful up on stage, with her long black hair pulled into a side ponytail, dressed in the same shimmery black dress and silver leggings as the other girls in the group.

He hoped the judges would be open-minded, just in case she didn't pass with them. Regardless, the audience seemed to be thrilled with the performance, and the crowd roared in thunderous applause as the song finished. The four stood up to give the show choir a standing ovation as they bowed briefly before making their way off stage.

"They were incredible!" shrieked Rachel, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Gil, Kurt and Blaine also whooped their approval, as the performance had been truly memorable.

After the fifth group performed, there was a brief intermission before everyone regrouped for the last five show choirs to show what they had to offer. The second to last group was so terrible that Kurt sat in his chair trading winces with Rachel as the all-girl group stumbled through a very off-key version of Patsy Cline's _Walkin' After Midnight_. The final group – a co-ed group from Las Vegas – was the exact opposite, delivering an astoundingly well put together performance of _You Can't Stop the Beat_ from the musical _Hairspray_. In Kurt's mind it was clear: the winner would be Teenage Scream, the New Directions, or the Las Vegas group, Viva Las Musica.

After what seemed like hours, the announcer reentered the stage area and announced the final three – they were just as Kurt had surmised. The three show choirs crowded back onto the stage (Mr. Schuester joining New Directions at this point) to await the final announcement.

Kurt's hold on Blaine's hand was almost painful as they held their breath through the excruciating final seconds, and Blaine tore his eyes away from the announcer to look at his boyfriend for a moment and smile at his _gleeful_ expression. Kurt's eyes were as wide as they could be and his mouth hung open in an excited smile where his teeth completely disappeared from view. The younger man squirmed in his seat, and Blaine only managed to tear his gaze away when he heard the announcer clear her throat.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for…" began the announcer. "The winner of the 2016 National Show Choir Competition is…." She paused for dramatic effect, causing Kurt to groan aloud with frustration. "…From Lima, Ohio – the New Dirrrections!" the MC declared with a yell.

The four friends were out of their seats and clapping furiously before Mr. Schue and the kids even knew what had happened.

"They won! They won!" Kurt turned to Blaine and pulled him into a fierce kiss, the adrenaline of the moment as well as his nostalgia about being in this very room four years previously with Blaine cheering him on from the audience quite overwhelming. Blaine kissed back eagerly, wrapping a hand behind Kurt's neck for a moment to stroke at the sensitive skin of his hairline before pulling back to resume clapping for the new champions.

Eventually the ruckus of a thousand people clapping died down, and the New Directions accepted their trophy and exited the stage. Slowly the sound of a thousand scraping chairs and twice that many feet began to fill the theater as the audience poured out through the four available exits. Kurt and the others hung back and waited for the crowd to disperse before heading off in search of the New Directions.

The fourteen teens and Mr. Schuester were currently in the main lobby of the theater, laughing, shrieking and generally flailing as they exchanged hugs and lifted their new trophy high into the air. Will eventually managed to stop screaming himself long enough to catch the four standing a few feet away from the group – looking like they too might burst from excitement and pride.

"Kurt! Blaine! Rachel! Gil! I can't believe it! These guys worked so hard!" he called far too quickly and loudly, but no one minded.

At the mention of Kurt and Gil's name Kei's head snapped around and she tore herself away from the others, grinning widely as she skipped over to where Will and the four friends are standing. Her excited skipping stopped about a foot away from them and her expression turned to nervous excitement as she paused to work out which of the two girls was Gil. It wasn't difficult as Gil's face immediately lit up into an even bigger grin.

"Oh my goodness – hello, dear!"

"Hi! Hi! I can't believe you're here! You're here, and we won, and – oh my God!" exclaimed Kei breathlessly. Kurt smiled at the two, knowing that a few dozen emails had been exchanged between them (Kurt sometimes included, sometimes not) over the course of the past 11 months. After openly staring at Gil for a long moment, it finally dawned on Kei that Kurt and Blaine were there too and she turned to them to squeal excitedly as Kurt pulled her into a brief hug.

"It's so nice to see you again Kei," he greeted her warmly.

"We're really glad to see you so happy," seconded Blaine, "and congratulations on your win."

"Thank you! Thank you! I'm so shocked to be here, right now. I just…I never thought _I _would be able to do anything like this…" Kei confessed, her voice cracking slightly. Kurt and Blaine missed the slight inflection of her voice as she said "I" but it was clear that Gil understood the deeper meaning as she exchanged a knowing look with the teenager.

"And yet, here you are. You and the other people on your team – you guys were amazing."

"Oh my goodness Gil I-" Kei started but broke off suddenly, glancing at Kurt and Blaine awkwardly. Blaine was oblivious as usual, but Kurt got the hint.

"Blaine, honey, why don't we go talk to Will again?"

"Huh? But Kei was about to-" Blaine protested, before being quieted by a pointed look from his boyfriend. Kurt linked arms with Blaine before patting Kei on the shoulder.

"We'll let you two girls talk alone. Congratulations Kei, on _everything_."

"Thank you," gushed Kei, before turning her attention back to Gil.

Kurt and Blaine strode the short distance over to where Will and Rachel were talking animatedly about Rachel's upcoming audition for _Les __Misérables__._ The four chatted happily for several minutes, filling each other in about the various goings-on in their lives before Will needed to excuse himself to round up the choir so that they could go out for pizza to celebrate their win (he also needed to find two singers who had wandered off from the group in search of a more secluded location to make out). They said their goodbyes, Rachel most reluctantly, as she had gladly fed off Wills enthusiasm for her upcoming audition, just as Gil and Kei returned to the group and gave Kurt one last hug goodbye with another whispered 'thank you.'

The four headed out of the theater, Kurt and Blaine in one direction towards the subway that would take them home, and Rachel and Gil in another towards a separate subway as they lived in the same neighborhood in SoHo.

"I feel all tingly now," commented Kurt as they reentered their apartment. "I think I'm nearly as thrilled for them as I was for my own team four years ago."

"I'm really glad we got to go," agreed Blaine. Kurt shook his head as he tried unsuccessfully to wipe the grin off his face.

"Eee!" he squealed, unable to contain his left over excitement as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

"You're adorable," observed Blaine lovingly, shuffling a foot closer to Kurt so he could kiss his cheek lightly.

"I can't help it," babbled Kurt. "I'm just so happy for them and Will and Kei and they won and it's just the best thing ever and – for Gaga's sake Blaine, just kiss me already or I'm never going to be able to stop talki-" Blaine chuckled and pressed his lips to Kurt's, cutting off the end of his sentence. He kept their lips glued together as he took his hand and tugged him in the direction of their bedroom, only breaking the kiss when he desperately needed more air.

"Thanks," muttered Kurt, blushing slightly.

"Any time," quipped Blaine, pulling Kurt in for another kiss. Kurt responded eagerly, pushing his tongue into Blaine's mouth and massaging Blaine's with his own. He moved to wrap his arms around Blaine but pulled back abruptly.

"Can we have sex now?" he asked hopefully. "Or are you hungry? Do you want to wait until after dinner or-?" Blaine cut him off again with another quick kiss.

"I am hungry," he growled, "but more for you than dinner at the moment."

"Just checking," giggled Kurt as he crashed his lips into his boyfriends again. The sky outside, which had been bright and sunny all afternoon, quickly clouded over, and a random, loud, summer storm began; the sharp patter of rain audible inside the small bedroom.

Breathless, Kurt broke the kiss in favor of kissing along Blaine's jaw as his fingers unbuttoned the buttons of his light blue dress shirt. He loosened Blaine's tie, but left it on the slightly shorter man as he peeled the cotton shirt off his boyfriend's shoulders and threw it into their hamper. He took a moment to admire the contours of Blaine's chest – the dark dusting of chest hair, Blaine's tan skin (the coloring of which was a mixture of his pan-Asian heritage and time spent outside basking in the early summer sun), and the long lean lines of his boyfriends strong arms. Kurt knelt slightly to deliver kisses to all of the aforementioned areas, Blaine sighing happily above him. He worked his way down from Blaine's shoulder blades to his nipples, tugging each one into his mouth and grazing them lightly with his teeth; to his abdomen, swirling his tongue into Blaine's belly button, which earned him a gasped 'oh fuck' from his boyfriend. The fingertips of Kurt's elegant hands had just popped open Blaine's belt buckle when Blaine reached down and lightly tugged on Kurt's own tie, causing Kurt to look up and into his lust-blown eyes. Blaine moved his lips a fraction forward and Kurt smiled, pulling himself up into a standing position and pressing his lips once again against Blaine's, tugging his dark-haired lover's lower lip into his mouth and nipping on it lightly.

"Urmph," groaned Blaine incoherently, settling one hand on Kurt's waist while the other expertly popped the buttons on Kurt's thin red cardigan. The garment soon joined Blaine's button-down amongst their other laundry, followed quickly by his black tie and white undershirt. It only then dawned upon them that they should probably take their shoes off before continuing, so between giggles Blaine unlaced his dress shoes and removed his black socks while Kurt knelt to quickly untie his black lace-up boots and ease them off along with his socks.

Kurt took advantage of the fact that Blaine had turned around to take off his shoes and wrapped his hands around his lover as he stood back up, his hands sprawling out in exploration against Blaine's chest while he held himself flush against Blaine's back, planting wet kisses along the back of his neck and his upper shoulders.

"I love you," he whispered against the shell of Blaine's ear.

"Love you too," affirmed Blaine softly as he pushed his hips back against Kurt's, Kurt's arousal now pressing insistently against his ass. Kurt kept one arm tightly wrapped around Blaine as he returned the gesture, rocking into this boyfriend, while the other found its way up to Blaine's scalp and tangled into Blaine's curls.

"Mphmf, _please_," Blaine whined when Kurt's hand settled itself unmoving in his hair, as Kurt continued rocking against him, shifting slightly to steady his stance while holding Blaine in place.

"Please, what?" Kurt teased, licking the back of Blaine's ear.

"Ku, Kuurrt," groaned Blaine, grinding his ass harder into Kurt's hips.

"Please, _what_ Blaine?" Kurt repeated insistently.

"Pull –" pleaded Blaine, "– pull my hair," he gasped out as the hand that had been holding his chest inched downward to palm him through his fitted dress pants.

Kurt smiled as his fingers found a thick lock of Blaine's hair and gave a light tug – not too hard, just the way Blaine liked it. Kurt couldn't believe that after all this time Blaine was still slightly hesitant to ask for this. It was a well known fact in their relationship Blaine loved to have his hair pulled – as well a known fact as Kurt liking to be spanked occasionally. Then again, Kurt still flushed a deep crimson nearly every time he outright asked Blaine to do _that_, so he supposed it was understandable.

"More," Blaine begged, and Kurt tugged again as his other hand easily unbuttoned his dress pants and jerked the zipper down. The pants slid off Blaine's hips and Blaine shuffled to remove them without detaching himself from Kurt's grasp. A delicate hand ghosted over his erection through his boxers, before Kurt thrust his hand behind himself to ease down the back zipper of his Marc Jacobs black skinny jeans.

"Bed," choked out Kurt as he freed himself from the confining jeans. Blaine nodded eagerly and climbed onto the bed, smiling and batting his long eye lashes at Kurt.

"You are such a dork," teased Kurt good-naturedly, his tone turning gravelly as he joined the other man on the bed. "Good thing you're such a sexy dork." He kissed Blaine once again, a rough, quick kiss that left both men's lips red and puffy. Blaine pulled him close and Kurt reached forward once again to stroke Blaine through his underwear. After a few strokes he inched his hand backwards and pressed his thumb against Blaine's entrance through the thin silky fabric, he hesitated for a moment to make sure that this was what Blaine wanted as well. The two were usually very much in sync about what kind of sex they wanted, but it never hurt to double check.

"Yes, yes, oh fuck please," begged Blaine, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. Kurt slid his hand forward to cup Blaine's balls for a moment while his tongue traced a vein on the skin of Blaine's exposed neck before he reached over Blaine and pulled out a condom and their lube from the nightstand.

During the moment of his absence Blaine had rolled fully onto his abdomen, his face flushed and beads of sweat starting to pool at the crevices of his neck and the inside of his elbows. Kurt didn't think there was anything more gorgeous than his boyfriend mid-sex, and his cock jerked in anticipation of what was about to happen.

Kurt grasped Blaine's boxers with his thumb and forefinger and yanked them down and off of his boyfriend's hips to get lost somewhere in the mess of blankets and sheets pooled at the bottom of the bed. He removed his briefs as well and eased Blaine's legs forward and apart so his ass was higher than his head as his knees bent, allowing Kurt a better angle. Once settled between Blaine's legs, he picked up the lube and coated a hand with it, reaching under Blaine to pump his cock as Blaine thrust into his fisted hand.

"Blaine, fuck," mumbled Kurt as he watched Blaine writhe underneath him, bucking forward and into his hand, the muscles of his legs clenching and unclenching in desperation and want.

"Inside, n-now," Blaine gasped and Kurt stopped jerking him off in order to recoat his hand in lube and press a finger gently inside his boyfriend. After a moment Blaine had relaxed enough for Kurt to slide the finger all the way in and slip it out before adding a second. He pushed both fingers in to Blaine, scissoring them as Blaine pushed his hips backward against Kurt's hand.

Kurt decided that neither he nor Blaine could take another second of not being connected so he withdrew his hand and rolled on the condom, applying a healthy amount of lube to his shaft as he went.

He unceremoniously wiped his hand on a sheet (they were due to wash the sheets soon anyway) and lined himself up with Blaine before pushing inside. He was immediately sheathed in the heat and pressure of his boyfriend and moaned at the delicious sensation.

"So good, so good," he praised, raising a hand to shove his sweat-dampened hair out of his eyes. He dragged his fingernails along Blaine's back as he slowly pulled out, before rocking back into Blaine, and after leaving three light scratches all along his back Kurt let one hand grab Blaine's hip while the other found the soft curls of Blaine's head and resumed pulling Blaine's hair.

"Guh, Kurt, Kurt," moaned Blaine as he thrust backward and directed Kurt deeper into him, the movement causing Kurt's cock to rub against Blaine's prostate.

Kurt slid his hips forward slightly to keep the angle steady and thrust harder and faster into Blaine, making repeated contact with his prostate. His tugging on Blaine's hair became erratic and unsteady as he felt the familiar sensation in his abdomen building, but he remained coherent enough to reach around Blaine's right hip and resume pumping his hand along Blaine's length.

"Come for me, baby," he groaned as he rubbed his thumb roughly over the slit of Blaine's cock, the leftover lube making the movements fluid and easy.

Blaine didn't need telling twice, and within a minute he was contracting around Kurt and coming over Kurt's hand. Just as his orgasm started to fade Kurt fell over the edge too, and he bucked erratically into Blaine as he came, calling his lover's name loudly along the way.

After a minute he grew too sensitive so he eased himself out of Blaine and removed the condom, tossing it into the nearby bin. Blaine wrapped his arms and legs around Kurt simultaneously, pulling him into a cuddle.

"I love you," he said and then paused to kiss Kurt's forehead.

"I love you too."

Blaine's eyes fluttered closed and Kurt clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

"Hey, don't fall asleep – we still need to make dinner."

"Nuh-uh," whined Blaine without opening his eyes. He tightened his grip on Kurt, sliding his hand down Kurt's waist to wrap around his ass. "Not hungry: sleep now. Eat later." It was at that inopportune moment that his stomach betrayed him by grumbling loudly.

"Right," admonished Kurt sarcastically. "Come on Blaine, up! You're grouchy when you're hungry." Blaine pouted dramatically before hesitantly opening an eye.

"Argh," he grumbled. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Fine. _I_ will make dinner, but then you have to get up and eat it." Blaine grinned widely, thoroughly pleased with this turn of events.

"My hero."

* * *

><p>The next seven days flew by, as the semester pulled to a final close and Kurt's graduation from FIT drew closer and closer. Everyone Kurt and Blaine knew were also running around like headless chickens, since Mercedes, Tina, Quinn, Amber and Gil were also graduating. Back in Ohio arrangements were being made for Finn's graduation from OSU (alongside Puck, Dave and Angela) and his upcoming move to New York City. Kurt's parents and Finn had flown down from Ohio on Friday afternoon and, after a repeat of last year's furniture shuffle and the easily made decision to have Finn stay with Rachel for the duration (after all, the two were moving in together in a matter of weeks), everyone had settled in nicely.<p>

For their part, Blaine's parents had balked in surprise when Blaine had half-heartedly mentioned the possibility of _them_ coming in for Kurt's graduation (as Kurt's parents had done for him the previous year) and had quickly rebuffed the idea while citing various 'work obligations' as reasons for not being able to attend. Kurt had assured Blaine that he really didn't mind – and that really, what with packing for D.C., entertaining Kurt's parents and stepbrother, getting their apartment ready for Quinn and Kevin to move in temporarily, and figuring out the last of the logistics of their new home in D.C, he had _more_ than enough on his plate.

With the arrival of Kurt's graduation on Sunday morning, their apartment became a hive of activity; the four bumping into one another in various stages of dress while a harassed-looking Kurt shouted threats increasingly dire in nature if they were late for his ceremony. Finally everyone was ready and assembled to leave at the front door, Kurt having finally found his silver lapel pin of a sewing needle to adhere to his gown and Carole having successfully removed a small coffee stain from Burt's tie.

"Alright let's go, the cab is waiting," directed Blaine as he took a suddenly nervous Kurt by the hand and led the way to the elevator and out of their apartment building.

Burt and Carole beamed with pride as the cab pulled up to the ceremony location and deposited the family into the throng of several hundred equally harried-looking individuals. Kurt was the first, and so far only, person in either the Hudson or Hummel families (until of course you were to go to very distant relatives, but who counts those?) who would be graduating with a four year degree. He wouldn't keep the 'only' title for long as Finn was due to graduate in a week – but the magnitude of the occasion was not lost upon the two parents.

After flinging his arms around his parents and giving Blaine one last peck Kurt was off, dashing towards the line-up location with the other graduates. They waited outside for a few minutes until Blaine received a text from Mercedes to confirm that she, Rachel, Finn, Tina, Quinn and Kevin were inside and looking for Burt and Carole.

"Mercedes and the others are apparently in Section 4G about midway down – they've saved three seats," Blaine explained to Burt and Carole. "You guys go on ahead and meet them: I'll catch up in a minute." Burt's brow furrowed.

"Where are you going?" he asked, a slightly tense tone to his voice, as he glanced at his watch. Blaine pointed across the street to a small flower shop.

"I didn't want Kurt to see, but I have an order there I need to pick up. There's almost an hour still 'til graduation, I'll be right there." Carole's eyes lit up at Blaine's explanation.

"You're such a sweetheart!" she gushed happily, linking arms with her husband. "Come on; lets go find Mercedes and the rest of those kids."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Burt asked, his tone softening.

"I couldn't tell _anyone,"_Blaine reasoned. "Kurt _always _figures out when I'm going to surprise him – or try to surprise him, at least."

"Don't I know it," chuckled Burt. "When he was little I had to buy his Christmas presents ridiculously early and hide them at my buddy Enzo's store or else he'd know everything before we even put up the tree," he recalled. "Though that was better than this one time, when he was six, when he wrote a wish list for Santa but wouldn't show it to anyone before it got mailed out and refused to say what was on it until bedtime on Christmas Eve. Do you know how difficult it is to find a kid-sized tea set that you can actually use to make real tea at 9 o'clock at night on freakin' Christmas Eve?" Burt shook his head at the memory and offered Blaine a warm smile as well before allowing himself to be led into the crowd by his wife.

Blaine jogged across the street and was relieved to note a "pre-ordered pickup" line that was separate from the "new order placement line," which stretched out the door of the small shop. After a few minutes of waiting he told the cashier his name and order number before the exhausted man handed him a medium sized bouquet of Columbia blue larkspurs and white gardenias: FIT colors. Feeling quite pleased with himself about not blabbing (Ok, so flowers at graduation weren't exactly the surprise of the century but getting something around Kurt was practically _impossible_) Blaine texted Mercedes and made his way to where they were sitting in the commencement hall.

After lining up, the graduates had been directed into cold metal chairs on the floor of the commencement arena. Kurt had found Gil in the hubbub and the two were shuffled into their 12 row seats rather brusquely by an attendant.

"I can't believe we're finally here!" exclaimed Gil. Kurt nodded his agreement.

"I know, it's so weird. I feel like I just graduated from high school in Lima yesterday. I've had the last song my old Glee club sang together stuck in my head all morning," he confessed as he unzipped the front of his gown and reached into his pocket.

"What was it?" asked Gil.

"_We Will Not Grow Old_, by Lenka," answered Kurt.

"How does it go?"

_You and me will be lying side by side  
>Forever, forever<br>Underneath this adolescent sky  
>Together, together<br>And you will hold my heart inside your hand  
>And You'll be the one, the one to tell me<em>

_Oh, we've got a long, long way to go  
>To get there<br>We'll get there  
>But oh, if there's one thing that we know<br>It's that we will not grow old_

Kurt sang a few bars of the song quietly, smiling faintly at the memory of the last day in the choir room with all of his friends; his New Directions family.

"That's really nice," commented Gil.

"Yeah," agreed Kurt. He opened his wallet and pulled out a small faded photo of a four year old Kurt and his mother as they lay curled up on the couch fast asleep after a movie. Kurt pressed a thumb to the corner of the picture. _I miss you, I wish you were here mom,_ he thought to himself. He turned to show the photo to Gil but thought better of it. Gil, as one of his best college friends, knew all about Kurt's mom – her life and her death – but unlike Kurt, Gil did not have a dad and stepmother cheering her on from the stands. Rather, her sister Hilary and her husband had attended the ceremony, as her parents didn't involve themselves in her life at all, and hadn't since she'd come out to them six years previous. Sensing a mutual bittersweetness, the two friends instinctively reached out and clasped hands momentarily before music began to play, signaling the beginning of the ceremony.

The ceremony was _long_ – nearly three hours, Blaine feared that Kurt's flowers might wilt as the seventh – yes, _seventh_ – speaker of the day addressed the increasingly restless crowd. Finally the names of the graduates were called, and the Kurt Hummel Cheering Section exploded with pride as his name was called out and he proudly strutted across the stage, offering a short flash of his signature pageant wave towards his family. The contingent also cheered for Gil as her name was read, of course. Unfortunately, after Kurt and Gil sat, came about 300 more students who were of significantly less interest to Blaine and company as they waited for the graduates to be dismissed.

"Cheesus," groaned Finn. "I can't believe we are actually _still_ here. I'm sorry you all get to do this again next week for me," he said sympathetically.

"I'm not going to my graduation," commented Tina. "They don't even give you your real diploma then. There's no point to it."

"Your parents are cool with that Tina?" asked Burt with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh…we'll see," she admitted with a cringe, considering she hadn't actually informed them of this decision yet.

"Well I'm glad we're here!" piped up Carole cheerfully as she lowered the camera from her gaze for the first time since the ceremony had begun.

"Me too," said Burt sincerely, though he was also getting slightly antsy from the drawn out pace of the ceremony. "I just wish Elizabeth was here to see this," he added quietly. Carole gave his hand a squeeze of understanding, sure she'd feel the same way about Christopher the following week as she watched her little Finn graduate from OSU.

"I'm proud of Kurt too, but my butt is getting welded to these stupid seats," complained Finn yet again.

Finally the dean of the school returned to the podium and asked all the graduates to stand, congratulated them once more, and instructed them all to change the position of their tassels to signify their new status as graduates. The audience erupted once more into a powerful roar of approval and Carole clicked away happily at her camera as Kurt and Gil jumped up and down in their caps and gowns.

After the ceremony came a marathon of picture taking, a marathon that only ended when the batteries in both Rachel and Carole's cameras finally died. Kurt _loved _the flowers Blaine had ordered for him and after receiving them only reluctantly detangled himself from Blaine upon a pointed cough from Finn and Burt. Kurt hugged Gil goodbye as she made her way back over to her sister and brother-in-law, and the group of ten headed off to dinner at Le Bistro Moderne – a French-American bistro that happened to be one of Kurt's favorite places to dine on the rare occasion that he and Blaine were able to splurge. Burt, who happened to be as good at saving money as Kurt when he had his eye on a particular designer item, insisted on paying for everybody.

"We're really proud of you Kurt," Burt announced, raising his glass from the table once they had all settled in, and Kurt's flowers had graciously been placed into a vase brought out by their waiter to preserve them. "You've overcome all the challenges life threw at you, and really made something of yourself. I'm proud of you son." Carole seconded this and reached across the table to briefly embrace her stepson.

"I love all of you guys too," declared Kurt, a slight hitch in his voice as he looked around the expansive table at his friends and family, his gaze lingering the longest on his father and Blaine. The group collectively clinked their glasses together in honor of Kurt, before returning to their meals. Side conversations broke out quickly, as Rachel and Finn gabbed with Mercedes about their upcoming 'moving in with the significant other' situations (and, of course, Rachel's upcoming audition for Les Mis, as well as Mercedes' audition for another commercial), Quinn – with an almost equally excited Kevin – interrogated Carole and Burt about their wedding, as the two betrothed lovers would be getting married in _only_ 6 more months, and Tina happily turned to talk to Kurt and Blaine. The conversation quickly turned to Kurt and Blaine's summer plans.

"So what are you going to do in D.C. while Blaine's working?" she asked curiously.

"Remember the scarves I created for my independent study?" he asked, smiling when Tina nodded. "Well, I showed the finished product to Gil, who showed them to a buyer she knows, and the buyer bought them! It's the first time anything I've designed was actually purchased by anyone. They liked them so much that they asked to see my other work, and when they saw how fabulous it was, they offered me a commission to design some pieces over the summer. It's just some freelancing work but it'll keep me busy and connected to the fashion world until we get back to the city."

"That's awesome."

"Yeah. After the whole Zeb thing, I wasn't sure I'd be able to find any work at all in the industry – hello, $20,000 in student loans for nothing – but thankfully, it appears that's not going to be the case."

"Can't keep a Hummel down," interjected Burt proudly.

"Never," agreed Blaine, pressing a kiss to Kurt's cheek as Kurt grinned happily. This moment was truly one to remember.

**And there you have it – I hope Kurt's graduation didn't seem too…rushed. I didn't want it to be a rehashing of Blaine's from chapter 2.**

**The next few (not sure if 2 or 3 or 4 tops) chapters will take place during Klaine's summer in D.C. I personally LOVE D.C. and am *so* excited to write about Klaine there (I'm pretty sure I haven't read any KlaineInDC fanfics before so maybe there aren't any?) and as promised I have a fluffy and smutty summer planned for our boys + I'll be incorporating the prompt winners prompts soon so that's exciting as well.**

**I'm getting used to my new tumblr – and my ask box allows for anonymous asks so you don't need a tumblr to post to it – so if you're interested in extra ITT info you can follow me there at [blurtitoutalready][.][tumblr][.][com]. Just remove the brackets.**

I'm Truly Clueless - no I don't/didn't go to fashion college, but thank you! My field is actually mental health but I've been doing a bunch of research (that and 8000+ chapters are why updates aren't as speedy as I'd like) about FIT/NYULaw and other locations/systems. It is my goal to make this fic relatively realistic.

**Reviews are my crack, and really the only way I know ya'll want me to keep going, so if you're inclined, review button is below.**


	13. Chapter 9

**Ok, we're gonna keep this brief. Thank you to all the fantastic readers of this fic, new and old – much, much love from me to you. Thank you as well to Darling Beta for her awesome beta-ing skills. If you're interested in extra ITT info/spoilers/my personal ramblings I'm on tumblr at (remove brackets) [blurtitoutalready][.][tumblr][.][com].**

**I am SO happy to be writing DC!Klaine. This is because I love D.C. **_**and **_**one of our prompt winners prompt is in this chapter. A forewarning: a whole buckets worth of smut and fluff is in this chapter, with just a dash of plot development. We'll be getting into more plotty-ness soon, but right now we're just havin' fun. The other winner's prompt will be in chapter 10. So without further ado, Chapter 9.**

* * *

><p><strong>May 29, 2016.<strong>

"Oh my Gaga, I am completely and utterly exhausted," declared Kurt as he flopped down on the newly made bed inside the … mostly, unpacked bedroom of the small apartment they would call home for the next three months.

"Ugh, you can say that again," agreed Blaine as he stretched luxuriously from his position on the bed next to Kurt. "Remind me again why we picked an apartment on the third floor of a building with no elevator?"

"Temporary insanity," supplied Kurt dryly. "That and it was the only affordable furnished unit in the area and we get to be neighbors with Lauren."

"Right, and all of those are good reasons, but right now I can't even keep my eyes open I'm so exhausted," Blaine whined. "There's still so much to do but _I don't feel like doing anything, I just wanna lay in my bed_," he finished in a sing-song voice.

"You and that song*," giggled Kurt, remembering a particularly lovely March afternoon the previous year. "Okay, how about we take a nap break…but then we're both back to work?" he suggested, trying to sound stern.

"Yes, sir," mumbled Blaine, not needing any convincing, and he let his eyelids finish their downward journey, drooping lower and lower over his eyes until they were fully closed. Kurt turned to snuggle up behind Blaine and allowed himself to fall asleep in their new temporary home too.

A little over an hour later, Kurt awoke with a sharp sniff. Always a light sleeper, he wasn't much for naps anyway, but Blaine was dead to the world beside him, his head buried into the pillow with his still jean-clad legs jutting out at odd angles. _That cannot be comfortable_, thought Kurt as he observed his boyfriend. The sun was a little lower in the sky than when Kurt had first fallen asleep, but it was still pretty light out. Kurt's stomach growled and he reached into the pocket of his jeans and glanced at the screen of his cell phone to check the time. His glasz eyes flitted in the direction of the small kitchen and he remembered that they had literally no food in the house yet.

With a yawn and a stretch, Kurt pulled himself up out of bed and quickly undressed. There was no way he was going out in slept in, let alone sweaty moved-in, clothes. After a quick refreshing shower and a reapplication of moisturizer he picked out a simple white and grey striped short sleeved shirt, a pair of Blaine's dark grey cargo shorts (hey – they weren't fully unpacked yet and their clothes had somehow gotten mixed together during the packing process – thanks, Finn – so it was easier to grab the first non-wrinkled thing he could find), a blue studded belt to make up for the fact that the shorts were a size too big, and a matching pair of blue keds. After fussing with his hair for a few more moments Kurt was sufficiently satisfied with his appearance, and scribbled a quick note to Blaine explaining his absence before delivering a kiss to his forehead and heading out the door.

_Thank goodness for internet on phones,_ he thought as his navigation app directed him and the small black rolling hand cart he always brought grocery shopping with him in New York towards the nearest grocery store. Though Kurt was a huge fan of local businesses and all that, huge grocery store chains were something he sorely missed from Ohio. Sure, in New York you could get your hands on nearly any product you wanted at any time, but there wasn't a one-stop-shop grocery store that carried a large variety of _anything_ in the big city. As he wandered down the aisles of the cramped Safeway (while making a mental note to figure out where the hell Whole Foods was for next time) he observed that it appeared D.C. would be much the same in that department.

After picking up some essentials at the grocery store Kurt made his way over to the nearest liquor store and picked up a bottle of Blaine's favorite Merlot to go with the roast beef, mashed potatoes and green beans he was planning on making that night for dinner. He sighed contently as he took in the pleasant surroundings of their new neighborhood, located just south of Logan's circle in the North West section of Washington, D.C. It was much quieter here than in Midtown Manhattan, but the area still had that intangible but fully present _pulse_ to it that had made Kurt fall in love with city-living. Upon arriving at their apartment, Kurt allowed himself a moment to pout at the tall stoop before hoisting up the full cart and making his way up to their apartment door.

"Hey, you're back," called Blaine cheerfully when he heard the door to their apartment open from the bedroom.

"Yes, I figured we would need sustenance eventually," Kurt called from the hallway.

"You figured correctly – I'm starving," confirmed Blaine, his head poking out of the bedroom. "I'm just finishing up putting away the rest of the clothes. I'm not sure how Finn did it but I think some of _his _clothes ended up here too." Blaine held up a pair of jeans that were clearly way too big for Kurt and equally too long for Blaine. Kurt sighed as he began to pull bags of groceries out of the hand cart.

"Somehow I'm not surprised. We'll mail them to him or something."

Blaine finished hanging up the rest of the clothes (and repacking Finns things into a spare box) and wandered into the small kitchen after Kurt.

"Want some help?"

"Sure, can you peel the potatoes?" Kurt requested while handing Blaine the peeler from a box labeled 'cooking utensils'. "I _love_ this kitchen," Kurt commented happily. "My only complaint about our place in New York is that trying to work with both of us in there is nearly impossible; it's so cramped."

"This place is nice. You know what my favorite thing is about our new place though?"

"Hmm?" Kurt asked absentmindedly, bending over to put the roast in the oven. After he closed the oven door he made to right himself, but Blaine's hand caught his ass on the upswing and gave him a firm squeeze.

"A whole new set of rooms to christen," he whispered seductively, leaning into Kurt to kiss the back of his neck. Kurt giggled and shifted around until he was facing Blaine, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck.

"Is that so?" he asked conversationally, feigning disinterest.

"Mm-hmm." Blaine nodded and gently kissed Kurt's lips. Kurt kissed back eagerly, pulling Blaine's bottom lip into his mouth and sucking on it lightly. They were both rather breathless by the time Kurt finally released Blaine's lip.

"We have almost forty minutes before I'll need to mash the potatoes and stuff," he casually observed.

"Is that an invitation?" Blaine asked, waggling his distinctive eyebrows.

"Mm-hmm." Kurt drew his bottom lip into his mouth, took Blaine's hand and pulled him into the living room and onto the couch. "I love you," he said softly between kisses as Blaine's arms wrapped around him on the plush leather couch.

"I love you too, and we *kiss* are going to *kiss* have the best *kiss* summer *kiss* ever," Blaine continued, the kisses to Kurt's and cheeks causing him to giggle from the slight tickling sensation.

"Absolutely," agreed Kurt. The two exchanged a dozen more chaste kisses before Blaine ran his tongue across Kurt's upper lip and Kurt opened his mouth slightly to let him in. At the deepening of the kiss, he felt Blaine's hands slide under the hem of his shirt to graze at the muscles of his back. The sensation of warm, rough hands over smooth, cool skin gave Kurt goose bumps, and led to his own exploration of the small of Blaine's back.

Things were just starting to get hot when Kurt suddenly broke out in a fit of giggles. He tried to suppress them and resume kissing Blaine, but he could barely press his lips down flat before another wave of hysterics hit him.

"What, may I ask, is so funny?" asked Blaine, trying to sound teasing but there was an edge of bewilderment and concern to his voice. Kurt shut his eyes and shook his head.

"It's silly, really. It's just, being on this couch, I don't know – I feel like a teenager again, like when we first got together. And I am well aware that just saying 'I feel like a teenager again' makes me sound about 57 years old, which is why I couldn't stop laughing by the way … and it was just nice, and even though we were definitely a lot less _practiced_ than we are now, I loved every minute of learning you, and me, and us." Kurt's mind had indeed been flashing back to several memorable fooling around moments on both Blaine's and his own couches in the earlier days of their relationship.

"We did make rather good use of those couches that first summer hmm?" Blaine asked, running his hand down Kurt's back and slipping it inside the waistband of the shorts – his shorts – that Kurt was wearing. Usually with Kurt's proclivity for tight clothes he couldn't do that, but right now he had ample access to grope away at Kurt's ass through his boxer briefs. As much as Blaine appreciated Kurt's own clothes, especially the way his tight jeans would hug his ass, seeing Kurt in _his_ clothes was most definitely a turn on.

"Yeah, except for that time we almost got caught by my dad, and that time we almost got caught by your dad, and then Finn, and that time we _did_ get caught by Carole, and then Rachel, and then Puck." Blaine pouted at him.

"You're killing the mood babe. The time that Puck caught us I couldn't find my underwear for like three whole minutes and he just stood there…" Kurt sniggered again and Blaine stuck his tongue out at him.

"I'm sorry – I'm sorry! I've said it a hundred times: I didn't mean to throw them behind the entertainment center…" Kurt reminded him quickly, throwing his hands up in the air in surrender. Blaine grinned at him and pulled him in for another kiss.

"It's okay, just shh," he whispered after the kiss ended. "Although your embarrassing trip down memory lane _did_ give me an idea…"

"What's that?" Kurt asked in a high, breathy voice before shifting forward to lick and suck at the tender skin under Blaine's left ear.

Blaine's breath hitched in his throat at the sensation and he didn't answer, instead choosing to pull out the hand that had been cupping Kurt's ass and push it between the two of them, quickly unbuckling and unzipping both of their shorts. Kurt lifted his hips to aid in the removal of the garments before settling down back on top of his boyfriend.

Space was tight on the leather couch, and there was really no way to lie other than on top of each other, which was exactly what they did: a tangle of limbs with Kurt's left foot wrapped around Blaine's right ankle; Blaine's other leg bent at the knee and thrown over Kurt's legs, keeping him pinned close to him. Their heart rates steadily increased as their kissing became more and more fervent. When Kurt came up for air Blaine smiled at him with reddened lips.

"You're right." Kurt smirked at him.

"That's not news," he deadpanned, "so you'll have to elaborate." Blaine pursed his lips at him but his eyes were still playful and mischievous.

"This," Blaine said simply, rolling his hips up and into Kurt's so their clothed erections brushed up against each other. "This," he repeated, pausing to nip lightly at Kurt's neck, "is very," another hip thrust, "nice."

Kurt wanted to respond with a witty retort, but the brain circuitry required to form razor sharp sentences was being currently diverted so he was only able to respond with a moan and a matching hip thrust back into his boyfriend, pushing Blaine into the cushions of the couch.

"Guh, Blaine…" Kurt panted as they fell into a steady rhythm rutting against each other. They hadn't done this, just this, in a long time and there was no doubt that the feel of each other, hard and bumping together, was _highly _enjoyable.

"Hrnghng," groaned Blaine nonsensically as his hand dove under the waistband of Kurt's underwear and tugged them past his hips and down to his knees. His own boxers soon followed, and they resumed rocking against each other once more, fitting together perfectly as hipbones and abdomens worked to create greater friction. "Harder," Blaine commanded breathlessly. Kurt responded immediately by increasing the power in his thrusts and felt an appreciative Blaine's fingernails running lightly up and down his back – not hard enough to hurt but with just enough pressure to leave light scratch marks for the next several hours.

"Love you, ungh, God – love you so much …"

"Lu … love you t-too."

They slid together easily; a result of the thin sheen of sweat that had been created from their enthusiastic thrusting as well as well-seasoned movements, and the heat of an oncoming orgasm began to build in both of their lower abdomens. Kurt tilted his head to pull the lobe of Blaine's ear into his mouth and that alone was enough: Blaine came over his and Kurt's stomachs, grinding harder up and into Kurt as he rode out his orgasm.

A whimper of 'fuck' passed through Blaine's lips as he came down and he called on the last of his energy reserves to grip Kurt's smooth thighs and pull him forward, creating enough distance between them for him to reach a hand between them and wrap it around Kurt's cock.

"_Blaine_," whined Kurt, his voice breathless and wanting. Blaine set to work with quick, short tugs at Kurt's aching cock and he had Kurt biting into his shoulder to keep from crying out as he came just a few jerks later.

The sated lovers grinned at each other and exchanged sloppy kisses as the last few moments of the oven timer passed by. Kurt was pulled out of his blissful, post-coital afterglow by the loud beeping of the timer.

"Shit! Dinner!" he squealed, leaping up and off of Blaine and the couch. His boxer briefs, which had up until this moment been hanging resolutely onto his left foot finally slid off and onto the floor. Naked from the waist down, he quickly dashed into the kitchen, pausing for just a moment to hastily wipe their mutual come off of his belly before checking on how dinner was coming along.

"Forget something?" Blaine asked smugly a few minutes later as he entered the kitchen, wearing his t-shirt and a fresh pair of boxers and holding Kurt's boxer briefs in his hand.

"Maybe," Kurt smirked, wiggling his hips enticingly as he finished the last preparations of dinner. "Maybe not."

"You are trying to kill me," Blaine concluded with a groan as he watched Kurt's ass wriggle back and forth, his own dick trying valiantly to respond already. Kurt turned to him and batted his eyelashes at his boyfriend teasingly.

"Maybe," he replied in a sing-song voice, "maybe not." He laughed as Blaine threw his head back in frustration and walked by his boyfriend, grabbing the boxer briefs along the way. "I'm going to change. If you set the table, we'll be ready to eat when I get back." Blaine nodded. _This summer is certainly getting off to a fabulous beginning_.

* * *

><p>As Blaine wasn't due to start his internship until the first of June, the two young men spent the next couple of days settling into their new apartment and exploring the city. Thankfully they had an excellent tour guide in Lauren Zizes, who, after spending the last four years at American University studying Political Science, was very accustomed to navigating everywhere in the District. By the end of their first weekend they had already been to see the White House and the Lincoln Memorial, and had eaten the best crêpes ever (apart from Carole's, of course) at Crêpes À Go Go.<p>

Today, the Tuesday after Memorial Day, Kurt and Blaine were planning on meeting Lauren during her lunch hour from her position as a legislative aide for a member of the House of Representatives. Kurt had been especially excited for an occasion to debut his Jackie O. inspired ensemble: a pair of ivory Bluchers, a pair of steel blue linen suit shorts with a matching caplet jacket with large silver buttons over an ivory colored fitted shirt, cardinal red suspenders, and to complete the look, a steel blue pillbox hat adorned with ivory beading cocked to the side atop his head.

The sun was hot on their backs as they walked to the nearest Blue Line metro station and made their way south to Federal Center Metro Station, walking the short distance over to the Rayburn House Office Building. People in suits rushed around on cell phones and families of tourists bent over maps at street intersections – the crowd similar yet different to those in New York City. It was far less glamorous than New York, but with the same 'something important is happening here' atmosphere. Kurt pulled his phone out from the pocket of his messenger bag and checked the text Lauren had sent them that morning of what room number she was located in – 347.

"Which congressperson does Lauren work for again?" Blaine asked curiously as they made their way through security. Kurt paused to think for a moment, furrowing his brow and slightly poking his tongue out between his lips.

"Jeez, do you know I don't think I even asked? She only started a couple weeks ago, and I can never keep all those political people straight, you know?"

"There are a lot of them, especially in the House," Blaine agreed with a nod.

The two walked up three flights of stairs to the third floor and rounded the corner in search of the correct room. They were just outside the door to office 347 when a loud, familiar voice came booming out from behind the wooden door:

"Listen Missy, you tell Representative Walsh that I want his name listed as a co-sponsor of Jean's Bill by tomorrow or I will send gnomes to his mistress' house. Yes, that's right _gnomes,_and _not_ the ornamental kind. Don't ask me how: just know I have 'in's with all woodland creatures!"

Kurt clapped a hand over his mouth.

"_No. Way_," he breathed, barely suppressing a giggle.

"I can't believe she didn't tell us she was working for _her_," agreed Blaine, also trying to keep from giggling.

"I still can't believe she _won_ in the first place," Kurt whispered before he carefully knocked on the door to the office.

"Xena! Get the door, my afternoon copy of _Dictatorships Today_ is due to arrive," instructed the voice.

"Hi guys, come on in," greeted Lauren with a slightly exasperated smile as she opened the door and the two young men followed her inside to the main room of the office. In the room were several heavy wooden desks. Attached to the main room was a smaller, more ornate office where, sitting behind an oak desk with several large gold trophies glittering from a floor to ceiling glass case behind it was the infamous Sue Sylvester. Kurt and Blaine gaped at Lauren with wide eyes as she directed them further inside the main office and into the doorway of Sue's office.

"I'm going on my lunch now Congresswoman Sylvester," Lauren said, causing Sue to look up from her stack of white papers.

"Yeah, alright – oh! Porcelain! What are you doing here? Who's he?" she asked, pointing at Blaine.

"It's nice to see you too Coa– Congresswoman Sylvester," Kurt acknowledged her, taking Blaine's hand. "This is Blaine Anderson, my boyfriend…" Blaine and Sue had actually met several times, but it had been over four years now since the two had seen each other so it was entirely possible she had forgotten –

"Blaine? The Gargler or Warbler or Pterodactyl or whatever? You're still around then? I'm sorry kid, I didn't recognize you now that you've allowed your hair to devolve into that evil nest of curls…"

Blaine wasn't sure what to say to this, and instead looked at Kurt, who threw up his hands in an 'I have no idea' gesture.

"This is a lovely office you have, Madam Representative," Blaine finally commented.

"It is, isn't it?" agreed Sue haughtily. "I had to mud wrestle that tramp from the 48th to get it, but to the victor go the spoils." She paused to remove her glasses before continuing. "What do you two do now anyway? Not that I really care about your poor loser lives, but the Congressional manual suggests that we at least feign interest in our constituents." Kurt sighed grandly – _same old Sue_–but answered her with a smile.

"I just graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Blaine and I are here in D.C. because Blaine is a summer associate with the ACLU while he's on break from NYULaw," Kurt explained proudly, linking arms with his boyfriend. Sue raised an appraising eyebrow at the two young men.

"Well aren't you two the most adorable pair of homosexuals since Neil Patrick Harris and David Burka. Now get out of here, the cuteness is burning my retinas."

"Right…Madam Representative, I'll be back in an hour," Lauren said firmly, jerking her head towards the door so that Kurt and Blaine would follow her out.

"Good luck with Jean's Bill," Kurt offered kindly as the trio made their way out the door. Sue didn't look up again from her papers, but Kurt thought he heard a mutter of 'sweet porcelain' as Lauren shut the door behind them.

"So where are we going for lunch?" Blaine asked Lauren as she led the way down the hall.

"There's a little deli in the basement of this building that's actually really good. I figured we'd go there and then have a little picnic at the Botanical Gardens, which isn't very far from here," she answered.

"The Botanical Gardens?" Blaine repeated excitedly. "We've been wanting to go there! I love places like that; the Shakespeare Garden in New York is one of my favorite places ever."

"Kurt told me," she admitted, smiling at him. Kurt looked down at his nice clothes; he wasn't so sure he liked the idea of a picnic, on the ground, at a garden, with plants and dirt and other … undesirables. Lauren caught his dubious glance however and rolled her eyes, pointing at her brief case.

"Slow your roll fancy-pants, we are _all_ dressed up, remember? I brought a blanket."

"Oh thank goodness. Alright then, I approve," Kurt said with a relieved sigh.

They bought sandwiches, salads, fruit and some brownies along with bottles of lemonade at the in-building deli, and walked the short distance over to the United States Botanic Garden.

"Do you guys wanna eat in the Jungle or the Rose Garden?" Lauren inquired.

"The Rose Garden," answered Blaine. Kurt nodded his agreement and the three made their way over to the lush open space, where several varieties of roses (and other plant life) bloomed spectacularly.

"This is a beautiful place Lauren," remarked Kurt.

"I know: I come here for lunch a lot – or sometimes just to escape from Sue."

"_How_ did you end up working for her anyway?" asked Blaine, his tone full of light-hearted disbelief.

"Well, in politics it's really more about who you know than what you know – and last spring I worked part-time as a scheduler for Representative Whipple, who for some reason that I cannot fathom gets along with Sue, and I needed a full time job once I graduated … Congresswoman Sylvester had an opening, and here I am. She's actually really astute and effective, when she's not going off about President Clinton stealing her pie or her plans to make Suetopia."

"Suetopia?" asked Kurt, unsure if he wanted confirmation.

"Yep. I mean, I've fantasized about having my own country before – still do – but she's _really_ serious about it. We'll see. If you ever start seeing money with her face on it, run for the hills." The three friends laughed and dug into their lunches.

"How do you like being a legislative aide?" Blaine asked, wondering if he'd get the chance this summer to observe a session of legislative testimony before one of the House or Senate Committees.

"I love it: I love politics, I love being in D.C., I love watching the back and forth debate on the floor of the House Chambers; I _love_ kicking ass when another member is being a dickwad, and being able to help with legislation like the bill Sue's the lead sponsor of – Jean's Bill – also known as H.R. 4759, which will make social security disability insurance law like 10,000 times less complicated is just awesome … all in all, it's a pretty sweet gig."

"It sounds awesome," agreed Blaine.

"Most days," mused Lauren. "It can also be completely maddening, watching all the players act like kids at playground who won't share their toys…"

"Worse than Glee Club drama?" asked Kurt skeptically.

"Well," answered Lauren, "I can't be sure about that – I haven't seen any Rachel, Quinn or Santana-worthy storm-outs yet – but apparently a few weeks before I started last fall, this rep from North Dakota flipped his shit right on the floor: got out of his seat, walked across the aisle and tore apart this really elaborate debt ceiling poster board one of the reps from Nebraska was describing. Ripped it to shreds like the freaking Hulk. I'm pissed I missed it." She paused and took a sip of her lemonade as Kurt and Blaine laughed.

"Though from what you told me you had a pretty…intense year…" she began before drifting off. Kurt grimaced slightly.

"Yes, senior year was…quite the adventure," Kurt affirmed, shaking his head, "but it wasn't all bad or anything. I mean, I was able to graduate on time, and I did learn a ton."

"I'm just glad we never have to deal with Zeb Marque again. He really was a terrible person," declared Blaine. Kurt was eager to get off the subject of his former boss – the topic had been talked to _death_ by all the well meaning people in his life, and he was ready to move on.

"Yes, well, he is now far, far away and not even in control of his own company anymore. So long Zeb!" Kurt reminded them with a distinct air of finality. "Anyway," he began again as he munched on a few grapes, "what's going on with you and Puck these days…?" Lauren let the question hang in the air for several moments before answering.

"Smooth subject change Porcelain. Well, I don't know. I think it's finally dawned on him that I'm not coming back there this summer or probably at all…" she began, picking at her salad. Kurt and Blaine waited for her to continue. "I talked to him a couple of days ago – he mentioned coming out here to visit, but he's said that like 12 million times so I don't really think it holds water."

"He's sent me a couple texts asking about how long we're going to be here…" interjected Kurt.

"Well, I guess we'll see if he shows up. I know I'm certainly not going to sit around waiting for him. A guy from Fitzgibbons' office asked me out last week and I said why the hell not? We're getting dinner tomorrow night."

"I never really _got_ you and Puck," Blaine commented hesitantly. Lauren considered this for a moment before a smile crept over her face.

"We can't seem to keep our shit together when we're not in the same area code, but when we are – it just works. We keep each other on our toes."

"That's for sure," agreed Kurt. "Gaga, I still remember some of those ridiculous pranks you guys pulled senior year." Lauren laughed.

"The one where Mr. Schue thought he was turning into a giant was the best," she recalled. "It was so weird; he kept insisting he was getting sick and muttering about us being miniature versions of ourselves or something." She laughed at the memory before her expression turned serious. "But we're not kids anymore. I don't want to mess around with Puck any more if the two of us can't be serious about it. When we were in high school it seemed so easy – we relied on each other, challenged each other, and as long as he came correct I was happy with it. But the last four years? I've done my thing, he's done his thing, which should be great and all – but he's my best friend. I want a future for myself that doesn't include messing around with some guy, even someone I love as much as Puck. Things are either going to get serious or they're going to have to end. For good."

"How serious are you talking about?"

"I don't wanna change Puck, suffocate him. He wants a family too – that's all he's ever really wanted I think. He's not really that connected to his mom or his sister and his Nona died last year which was really hard for him. Whenever he stops with the Puckasaurus talk that's what he talks about – wanting roots – but the two of us haven't figured it out yet. I don't know, now I'm just rambling, which is not cool or badass at all."

A master of smooth conversational transitions, as long as the conversation wasn't occurring amongst his family, Blaine rescued Lauren from her obvious discomfort and steered the conversation into an amicable chat throughout the rest of their picnic: making plans about future places to visit, as well as Lauren's opinion about her favorite D.C. locations. Lauren was also apparently an authority on the best gay bars in the area, which they both figured would come in handy. Neither Kurt nor Blaine was huge bar people but they did occasionally like to get their dance on, and both New York and D.C. had their fair share of quality queer night spots.

Lauren's phone beeped suddenly and she rose with an 'oh shit.'

"I gotta go. Sue's got a committee meeting this afternoon that I still need to prep her for – and by 'prep her for,' I mean 'learn what it's going to be about myself first.' You guys can keep the blanket and stuff and just give it back to me whenever – I'm so freakin' dead if I can't get this pdf to open _now_," she huffed at her cell phone as she clicked away at it, turning away and rushing off without another word.

"Well that was abrupt," observed Blaine as he watched Lauren round the corner and disappear.

"Yeah," Kurt agreed. "Politics, I suppose."

"Do you think Puck will actually come here?"

"I don't know. I know you've never really connected with him, and he's definitely made some shady choices, but he usually has his heart in the right place. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"It certainly appears as though Lauren can hold her own…"

"Totally. That's why Puck adores her; she's such a 'badass'," Kurt explained with air quotes.

"On and off for like five years though, I don't know about that…" confessed Blaine hesitantly.

"Yes, and yet they still somehow manage to have less drama than Finn and Rachel," Kurt responded, rolling his eyes. He loved Rachel and Finn to pieces, but it seemed those two were always arguing about _something_.

"Very true," agreed Blaine thoughtfully. "So do you think Lauren's right? About Puck really wanting to put down roots with her?" Kurt worried his lower lip as he contemplated the question.

"I don't know if Puck will ever want to like, get married, or anything, but yes. I know that he still thinks about Beth a lot – and he does believe she's getting a better life with Rachel's mom than he could have given her as a teenager, but it still stung to let her go back when he and Quinn were sophomores. He's kind of hard to figure out because he's 'on' so much of the time, but Lauren has a really stable family and you can tell that he envies that and wants that, since his dad turned out to be a deadbeat and his mom is kinda cold and aloof."

Blaine stared down at his half-eaten brownie, struck with the thought that maybe he and Puck did have a little more in common than he had first considered.

"Did he really have a vasectomy after Beth was born? I don't even know why I know this; I think Finn might have mentioned it during the infamous Rachel Berry Pregnancy Scare Nightmare of 2013."

"Ugh, don't remind me. The last thing I want to think about is my brother and Rachel having _sex_. On the pill since senior year of high school, but one broken condom and she turned into Linda Blair for three weeks. As for Puck? I don't know. He says a lot of things that aren't exactly factual. I know Lauren wants kids some day but if he did then maybe they'd just adopt, which could be complicated for Puck because of Beth, but I don't know: we'll have to see how it pans out."

"I want to adopt," Blaine blurted out suddenly, looking even more surprised than Kurt at the sudden admission. They had talked about their future together – marriage, kids someday – at length, but the question of how to procure children was something they'd never really spoken about.

"O…kay," Kurt responded slowly. "Planning to do this soon are you?" he joked with a small smile and a raised eyebrow.

"No," answered the other man while slightly shaking his head, "but when we decide we want to have kids, I think I'd really rather adopt than use a surrogate….unless; do you want to use a surrogate?"

"Um, I've thought about both options, and they each have their pros and cons. What makes you want to adopt?"

"Well, I mean, I love my family, I do….it's just, ever since we got together your family has kind of…like, adopted me, made me feel really welcome and a part of the family, and –"

"You _are_ part of my family, Blaine," Kurt cut in, taking Blaine's hand and pulling him closer on the picnic blanket.

"I know," answered Blaine, "and that's what makes me want to adopt – the chance to give that kind of feeling to a kid who wouldn't really have it otherwise? That's amazing." Kurt leaned forward and kissed him.

"I love you. Adoption it is. Someday."

"Someday," echoed Blaine, tilting his head to press his lips against Kurt's once more. Kurt kissed back eagerly, falling in love with Blaine again for the 432nd time in their relationship. Kids, _kids_, kids. The thought was a little overwhelming, but in the best way possible. After his mother had died, Kurt had resigned himself to the fact that his family was forever going to be just himself and his dad – and that that was enough for him – but now? Now his family was Burt and Carole and Finn and Blaine and Rachel even; and someday there would be children and cousins – and now his little family of himself and his dad had gone from two to an exponentially growing number.

"I love you," Kurt repeated.

"I love you too," Blaine responded immediately, a slightly confused expression on his face as Kurt pulled away from him slightly and began dragging him by the arm further behind the large rose bush behind which the blanket was spread out.

Kurt captured Blaine in another kiss, this one more passionate and insistent than the first few, prodding Blaine's lips apart with his tongue and diving into his mouth. Blaine groaned into the kiss and responded by massaging Kurt's tongue with his own, pulling the other boy even closer so their chests were touching.

Kurt's hands flew upwards to Blaine's collar and loosened his blood-red tie, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his dress shirt. Blaine's eyes were still closed from concentrating on Kurt's tongue in his mouth when he felt Kurt's hands move to his shoulders and gently ease him down so he was flat on his back parallel to the blanket.

"Kurt?" Blaine questioned, breaking the kiss and opening his eyes. Kurt's warm mouth found the sensitive skin of Blaine's neck and he breathed out a 'what Blaine?' between nips at the tender flesh.

Blaine was having a little trouble forming coherent thought at the moment so all he could do was groan in response, which Kurt took as ample encouragement, slowly sliding a hand down Blaine's chest, eventually reaching the intersection of his trousers and pulling the fabric of his shirt up and out from where it had been tucked in. Kurt's mouth kept up its vacuum seal on Blaine's neck, his tongue occasionally flicking at a particularly sensitive spot near his jaw line.

"K, Ku, Kuurt?" Blaine repeated weakly.

"_What_ Blaine?" Kurt nearly snapped, pausing to look up at his boyfriend.

"D-don't stop…" Blaine gasped out, which wasn't at all what he was going to say. He was going to ask if Kurt was really planning to do what it _appeared_ he was going to do. Were they really going to fool around and possibly have sex, in the middle of the day, behind an oversized rose bush in the freaking National Botanical Garden? _What_?

Kurt giggled at him and nodded in response. Blaine tilted his head, neck and chest forward to kiss Kurt again, which Kurt allowed briefly before pushing Blaine flat on his back once more. Blaine clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the whimper of joy that escaped his lips as he felt Kurt shift lower on his body and his elegant hands reach for the zipper on Blaine's dress pants. It should have been impossible how quickly Blaine had gone from being totally coherent and calm to a rock hard, whimpering mess, but apparently the thrill of doing this outside and in semi-public really got him going more than he had ever imagined it would.

"Can you lift your hips?" Kurt requested quietly. Blaine complied immediately, his hands tangling in the corners of the soft blanket Lauren had brought, and Kurt gently yanked his pants down to his knees. The slate grey boxers he was wearing that day soon followed, and his cock sprang to attention once it was freed.

"Now be quiet so we don't get caught," Kurt instructed; a mischievous glint in both his eyes and his tone.

Blaine was so caught up in the thrill of it he forgot to respond. He needed Kurt to stop talking; he needed Kurt's mouth on his dick – now.

Unfortunately he felt Kurt pull slightly away from him, a cooling breeze passing over his exposed waist.

"I mean it, Blaine Anderson: I swear on all things Couture, if we get caught, no more sex for you," Kurt warned.

"I got it, I got it!" Blaine insisted, pulling his bottom lip into his mouth. "_Please_ just do it baby."

"Alright, no need to get antsy," Kurt teased with a chuckle as Blaine's hips strained not to thrust upward.

Blaine bit back a groan as Kurt's mouth finally descended on his cock, the pink lips of his mouth wrapping around the head as one hand kept his hips pinned to the ground and the other cupped his balls, rolling his thumb over the sensitive area.

"Shh," Kurt hummed as he took Blaine further into his mouth – the vibrations of his throat sending jolts of pleasure throughout Blaine's body. Kurt's expert tongue lapped away at the underside of him, sliding up and down the length of his shaft as his head bobbed up and down. It was all Blaine could do to control his hips (this angle just wasn't ideal for Blaine to fuck Kurt's mouth) but he managed, and Kurt finally released his grip on his right hip and instead slid his hand over whatever of Blaine's shaft didn't fit in the wet hot cavern of his mouth and pumped him up and down.

"Jesus Kurt, this is so fucking hot," Blaine whispered, barely able to summon the energy to tilt his neck forward to look at his boyfriend. Kurt pulled up slightly so just the tip of Blaine's cock was in his mouth, pausing his sucking to smirk at Blaine. Blaine clapped his hand hard over his mouth to keep from crying out as Kurt locked eyes with him and ran his tongue harshly over the small opening.

After that bit of torture Kurt resumed sucking wholeheartedly, hollowing out his cheeks as he continued to pump with one hand. The hand that had been playing with Blaine's balls reached further back to press at the pulse point of Blaine's perineum, and as the digits of Kurt's hands ran over the hypersensitive tissue, Blaine felt himself reaching his peak. Kurt must have sensed it too, as he redoubled his licking and sucking efforts on Blaine's cock, and with a muffled cry of Kurt's name, Blaine came hard down his throat. Kurt worked the muscles of his jaw to swallow without breaking contact as Blaine road out his orgasm.

"Oh my God," breathed Blaine as Kurt released him with a devilish pop. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," responded Kurt, wiping away a bit of come and spit at the corner of his mouth and leaning forward to kiss Blaine. Blaine could feel Kurt hard against his leg.

"Oh, I should…" he started, inching a hand down to palm at Kurt through his shorts.

"No," Kurt countered, batting away Blaine's hand. "I want you to fuck me…but I don't think we should risk _that_ here. We should go home."

"What are we waiting for?" Blaine exclaimed excitedly. He popped up into a sitting position and jerked his underwear and dress pants back up. Kurt let out a shaky breath.

"Just…give me a minute to calm down so we can go."

"Oh, right." Blaine watched as Kurt screwed up his face in concentration for a few long moments.

"Okay, we can go."

"Yay!"

"You are the dorkiest thing ever Blaine Anderson."

"Maybe, but you love me."

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Says the guy who just blew me behind a rose bush."

"Alright yes, I love you."

"I love you too. Now, where is that Metro Station that will take us home?"

"Two blocks northwest," answered Kurt.

"Let's go," Blaine gestured with a smile, as he and Kurt picked up the last of the lunch leftovers and the blanket, and headed towards home. The following day, Blaine would start his summer job at the ACLU and Kurt would begin working on the pieces that would eventually form his newest line, but for the rest of the afternoon the two lovers thought of nothing but each other, and making as many happy memories as their brief summer in D.C. would allow.

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><p><strong>*if you don't know what song Kurt is referring to please see the prequel to this fic<strong>_**The Lazy Song**_

Alright, there you have it – the prompt for Outdoor!D.C.!Sex has been filled – I hope I didn't disappoint. The summer in D.C. arc will be two or three more chapters and will include the second prompt winners prompt, the resolution of a long held issue, and an update on how Finchel and Quevin (Quinn and Kevin) along with Detina (Detroit and Tina) and Jaycedes (Jay and Mercedes) are all doing in New York City.

**Reviews really do mean the world to me, so if you are inclined to share a little feeback, please click below. You may also submit any feedback you'd like to my tumblr [blurtitoutalready][.][tumblr][.][com]. Thank you for reading!**


	14. Chapter 10

**Hello Everyone! I'm so glad you liked chapter 9 – I had that bit of Sue's dialogue written down since the tail end of May and had been sooooooooo excited to share it with ya'll. Thank you for the touching reviews, the follows on tumblr, and all the new alerts and favorites. It means the world.**

**This chapter contains the second prompt winners prompt – and therefore, I gotta warn ya'll – there is some angst in this chapter. I know I promised a fluffy/smutty summer, and it is, it really is, but I've actually had this angst planned for…forever without a proper place to put it. So ya'll can blame me and BM22OwenstinaKlaine4evah for the angst (as well as the smut ;)) But, as always Klaine Dearies, keep calm and Klaine on.**

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><p>June 9th, 2016<p>

"I can't believe you right now!"

"Kurt, I don't understand why you're so upset! We're going around in circles –"

"You don't understand why I'm upset?" Kurt yelled back at Blaine from across the living room. His expression turned into a sneer. "I know you don't exactly have the best observational skills all the time, but even **you** should be able to –"Kurt abandoned the dig, but was quickly on the attack once more. "Hmm, would _you_ be upset if _I_ kept something from you for months and months?" He questioned sarcastically.

"Kurt! It's not like that; you _know_ that's not…" Blaine drifted off, shaking his head at the floor.

"No, Blaine! I do not 'know' that! What I know is that I had to hear from Brittany that you knew all about what happened with her and Santana and didn't tell me! We are supposed to tell each other _everything_."

"You're being ridiculous. We tell each other everything about _**us,**_ Kurt! Everything that's happening to me, or about you, or that's relevant to _us._ What happened over five years ago between _Santana _and _Brittany_ is not about us!" Blaine groaned in frustration, running a hand through his hair.

"Not relevant? Of course it's relevant! They are _my _friends!" Blaine looked affronted as he stared incredulously at his boyfriend.

"After all this time, I kind of thought they were my friends too," he told him quietly.

"You know what I meant!" Kurt snapped. He scowled at his boyfriend with crossed arms. How could Blaine not get this? Didn't he understand how _embarrassed _Kurt had felt; how hurt and out of the loop it had made him feel when, earlier that afternoon before Blaine had returned from work, he had been on the phone with Brittany, just chatting and playing catch up on each other's lives, when she had mentioned that she was going to visit Santana in a couple weeks. That discussion had led to the revelation that Santana had told Blaine all about what had happened between her and Brittany that led to their break up during the Thanksgiving trip home that previous fall – and didn't Kurt know that? Didn't the dolphins tell each other everything? Apparently not.

"Santana didn't want anyone to know!" Blaine shouted suddenly.

"And why not?" questioned Kurt suspiciously.

"Kurt it's a long story and – God, you know what, I would actually be able to _tell_ you if you'd just calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Blaine let out a roar of frustration.

"_Santana_ made me promise not to tell anyone!"

"I'm sure she didn't mean m –"

"Yes: even you! I didn't want to keep it from you. For heaven's sake, whenever they got brought up it was this big weird weight in my chest – "Kurt interrupted yet again.

"So why didn't you just tell me?" he demanded bitterly.

"I feel like I'm talking to a wall right now, Kurt! Like I keep saying: it was not my story to tell. Santana trusted me not to share with anyone! Kurt, I don't know what you want me to do here…"

"I _want_ you to be honest and open with me."

"I am honest and open with you. Santana trusted me with this. I had no idea she'd suddenly decide to tell Brittany she told me and that Brittany would mention it to you!"

"So because you didn't think I would find out, that makes it ok?" Kurt accused, his voice full of venom as he glared at the other man.

"You are twisting my words! I didn't do anything wrong. For the last time: Santana is my friend. Santana decided to confide in me. Santana asked me not to tell anyone what she told me. What would you have done?"

"I would have ... I would have; of course I –" Kurt stammered, Blaine's point finally starting to really hit home, the words creeping under the protective shield he had thrown up at the beginning of the argument.

"You would have done the same exact thing I did! You would have let Santana confide in you and then you would have kept your mouth shut! Just like me! The only reason you're pissed at me right now is because you hate that I put being a good friend above feeding your thirst for gossip!" For the first time in the lengthy argument, Blaine found himself blinking back tears. He was angry, and hurt, and felt like Kurt had backed him into a corner when all he had done was try to help. The two lovers hadn't had an out-and-out shouting match like this in months and months. Sure they bickered back and forth but arguments like this were a rarity.

Ever since Santana had pulled him into a dressing room in the middle of Old Navy at 6:30 in the morning on Black Friday and had – without any warning or preface – spilled her guts out for close to half an hour while the others in their group wandered around, Blaine had known Kurt would want to know everything he had found out. Not just because Kurt would find the information really juicy (because, let's face it: he would), but also because Kurt would try to help. Of course Kurt would want to help: Brittany and Santana were his friends, and from what Santana had told Blaine they were both still hurting even after all this time. What Kurt wouldn't have been able understand was that he couldn't help: Santana had specifically asked Blaine not to tell Kurt, or anyone, what she had told him. Blaine was only trying to do the right thing, and the information had been filed away in the back of his brain ever since.

"Why you?" Kurt asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper as he raised his eyes to look at Blaine properly for the first time in over ten minutes.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Why did Santana pick you?" Blaine shrugged.

"Who else?"

"Me? Dave? Mercedes?" Kurt prompted immediately. Blaine shook his head, his irritation rising to the surface once more.

"I don't know! I guess because you're right – they are, all of them, _your_ friends. So I guess she wanted to get some distance or something."

"I really didn't mean that," Kurt replied with a markedly softer tone. Kurt had known he was in the wrong from about fifteen minutes into the argument, but his pride had not allowed him to stop being angry, hurt, resentful and overall pissed until he had ranted himself out. The obvious hurt in Blaine's voice at the 'my friends/your friends' statement had been the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back, bringing him down from his high horse.

"Yeah well, whatever. It's true."

"No, it isn't. They love you. _I_ love you. I-" Kurt started, the beginnings of a rare Kurt Hummel apology tasting unfamiliar and unappetizing in his mouth. "I overreacted. Of course you should be able to keep Santana's confidences." Blaine wiped the corners of his eyes and chanced a look at Kurt.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." Kurt crossed the room, his arms falling from their rigid position crossed over his chest to lie at his sides.

"I know that. I'm sorry. I was just so caught off-guard by what Brittany said, but if Santana asked you to keep quiet then I'm glad that is exactly what you did." The anger in Kurt's chest fizzled out slowly as he wiped away the beginnings of tears at the corners of his own eyes, replaced by sincere contrition and a bit of shame at himself for getting so angry. Of course Blaine had kept Santana's confidences, and what happened with Brittany and Santana _wasn't_ about Kurt, and Kurt would have done the same thing – because that's what good friends do. Blaine was loyal to a fault; he hadn't been trying to hurt Kurt.

"Oh Kurt," Blaine whispered, closing the gap between himself and his boyfriend and wrapping his arms around the younger man.

"I'm sorry," Kurt repeated, burying his head in Blaine's chest.

"I would have been really caught off-guard by Brittany if I was in your shoes too," he said diplomatically – and truthfully. If Brittany had offhandedly mentioned that Blaine _should have known_ something that she _assumed_ Kurt had told him – especially something as meaningful as the much speculated Brittany/Santana saga – he would have felt confused, hurt and definitely caught unawares.

"I love you," said Kurt earnestly.

"I love you too," affirmed Blaine, pulling back from Kurt only slightly so he could cup Kurt's abashed face with the palm of his hand and lift the fair man's chin up in order to gently kiss him.

"_God,_" began Kurt, aghast, "I feel like a silly teenager, getting all worked up over not knowing every minute detail of your life. Of course you can share things with your friends – our friends – that don't involve me. That doesn't diminish our bond at all."

"Don't beat yourself up about it: I could have handled the whole thing better myself. If the situation was reversed I might have flipped out too. Can we please just kiss and make up now?" Blaine asked with a soft smile, pulling Kurt by the hand onto the couch.

"Yes. I would say some serious 'making up' is in order," was Kurt's answer as the tension in his face, neck and back began to fade and he allowed himself instead to melt into Blaine's embrace on the couch.

Boom.

Boom.

Someone pounded on their wall.

"Hey! If you guys are done fighting and are going to start fucking or something – you might wanna do it in the bedroom. These walls are mad thin, and from what I've heard Kurt's a screamer!" a raucous voice called out through the adjoining wall, followed by cackling laughter.

"Puck!" Kurt cried incredulously.

"Oh my God, when did he get here?" asked Blaine, equally confused.

Kurt delivered a hard searing kiss to a very surprised Blaine's lips before pulling away, straightening his clothes and standing up, motioning for Blaine to join him.

_Must I __**always **__be cockblocked by Noah Puckerman?_ Blaine sighed but figured he might as well get up and say hello as well. Kurt caught the look on Blaine's face and paused at the door. He took Blaine's hand.

"We can get back to making up in a minute; I just want to find out what's going on. I'm sorry we fought, and that I flipped out like that." Blaine smiled at him and leaned in to kiss Kurt's cheek.

"It's done. I'm sorry we fought too. I'll hold you to the making up part though." Kurt flashed him another playful smile before pulling the door open and knocking on the adjacent door. The boyish grin of one Noah Puckerman greeted them as he opened the door and allowed them into Lauren's small apartment.

"Hey Kurtsie," Puck smirked, pulling Kurt into a hug.

"Do. Not. Call. Me. That. _Noah_," Kurt chastised.

"Fine. Don't call me Noah then, and I won't call you Kurtie-kins." Kurt rolled his eyes. Puck surprised Blaine by turning and pulling Blaine into a hug as well, lifting his feet right up and off the floor.

"Hello Puck!" he greeted in surprise.

"Hey man!"

"Puck, what are you doing here? When did you get here? How long are you staying? How much did you hear?"

"Whoa whoa whoa dude – slow down, one thing at a time." Puck led them in from the doorway and the three plopped down at Lauren's kitchen table.

"Where's Lauren?" Blaine asked.

"She got held up at work. Something about Sue trying to fire a confetti canon on the floor of the House. She'll be back soon." Puck stood up again and opened the fridge. He took out a beer and gestured in offering to Kurt and Blaine. Blaine nodded but Kurt wrinkled his nose; he was more of a cocktail person. Puck and Blaine popped open the caps on their bottles of Sam Adams.

"When did you get here?" Kurt demanded impatiently.

"A day and a half ago. I wanted to see Lauren so I bought a plane ticket, and now here I am. It doesn't suck that you and Frodo are here too." He paused to take a sip of his drink. "I'm done with school, nothing's happening with my band, and I'll be honest – I fucking missed my girl. Puckzilla got tired of running around."

"How long are you going to be in town? How come you guys are only letting us know you're here now?" Puck picked up his drink with his left hand and took a long drag.

"I'm here for as long as Lauren keeps me around. Which…seems like it should be, well, forever dude." Blaine listened intently and waited for Puck to continue but a dawning of disbelieving comprehension spread across Kurt's face.

"You didn't!" he breathed. "Holy shit, Puck…"

"What?" Blaine questioned. Sheesh, sometimes he felt like Finn when Kurt figured out subtle things before he did. Thankfully he was markedly more perceptive about Kurt these days, but with other people, he was still pretty oblivious sometimes. Puck grinned at them, a mixture of sheepishness and pride.

"We did," he said simply.

"Oh my God," whispered Kurt, full-on staring at Puck.

"Will someone please clue me in as to what is going on?" Blaine requested irritably. With wide eyes Kurt turned to him, his expression caught between giddiness and dread.

"Puck and Lauren got _married_." Kurt stated breathlessly.

"What? No, oh my God – you guys didn't get married! Did you?" Puck laughed and ran a shaky hand through his Mohawk, and Blaine caught a distinctive glimmer of gold playing across his left hand.

"Yeah, actually, we totally did. Today – she took the morning off from work. It's pretty crazy but it's also awesome. I love Lauren. She loves me. Now we're connected, forever."

"Marriage? Really? Aren't you supposed to be a 'badass'? A player? Noncommittal and all that?" Blaine asked, totally nonplussed.

"Being a badass means doing whatever the fuck you wanna do whenever the fuck you wanna do it, and," he cocked his head to the side with a sly grin, "doing it in style. This is what I wanted, for a long time. I couldn't really give a crap what anyone else thinks about it – and _that's_ pretty badass." Blaine blinked in surprise but responded weakly when Puck motioned to clink his bottle against his own.

"Con-congratulations," managed Kurt, his tone still full of bewilderment.

"Yeah, I mean – as long as you guys are happy right?" Blaine seconded with a shake of his head.

"Quinn's not going to like it," Puck stated with a smirk. Blaine shot him a questioning look. Puck and Quinn had been over and done with long before Blaine even came into Kurt's life; surely he didn't think Quinn was still holding onto … Puck rolled his eyes at Blaine.

"She's gonna be mad that Lauren beat her to the punch!" Blaine, Kurt and Puck laughed in unison. "Isn't she getting married in the fall?"

"Yeah – the 12th of November," Kurt confirmed immediately. He had spoken with Quinn on the phone about the newest wedding preparations that very morning. "This is insane – how come you didn't tell us? Where did you get married? Are you going to have a ceremony? What did you _wear_?"

"Dude, you're hurtin' the noggin with all this Q&A. Heh, it was kind of spur of the moment. We got hitched this morning by one of those justice of the peace guys. We would have done it yesterday but there's like this stupid 24-hour waiting period nonsense. Lauren's more concerned with her work than having a big fancy ceremony. What did we wear? Haha it was killer – we both wore red."

"Well, red certainly fits both your coloring," commented Kurt approvingly. "Very chic, what with the recent influx of Asian influence on American wedding choices…" Blaine nodded in understanding (he might not be as fashion-savvy as Kurt, but he kept up his Vogue and Harpers Bazaar subscriptions) but Puck merely shrugged his shoulders again. The three sat in silence for a long moment.

"Welcome to the neighborhood," Blaine finally said, smiling at the man from across the kitchen table.

"What are you going to do now?" Kurt asked curiously. Puck didn't look fazed by the question.

"I'll be alright. The Puckster always figures monetary shit out. Got my degree now, got my guitar, lots of work experience…I've got ambition."

A key jingled in the lock of the front door.

"Hey lover boy," Lauren called out as a greeting.

"Don't call me that, woman!" was Pucks good-natured retort. "At least, not in front of the children."

"What childr – oh, hi guys!" Lauren exclaimed happily, setting down her briefcase and entering the kitchen. She kissed the top of Puck's head.

"Hi yourself! You got _married_?" asked Kurt, still suspecting that maybe Puck was just pulling his leg. Lauren beamed and nodded, waggling a small diamond on a simple gold band and a second similar gold band on her left ring finger.

"It's crazy but yeah, we did. The rings used to belong to Puck's grandparents. His Nona left them to him in her will." She opened the fridge, reached in the back for a lone bottle of chocolate milk, and took a bottle of Sam Adams for herself. After handing the milk to Kurt and sitting down beside them, she continued. "I know it seems really sudden guys –" Both Kurt and Blaine nodded vigorously in their agreement, "– but I feel really at peace with the whole thing."

"Well, we certainly wouldn't want to try to tell either of you what to do…" Blaine said slowly, sounding very much like he had much to say on the subject but didn't want to be impolite.

"Wouldn't dream of it…" echoed Kurt who then glanced at Blaine and the two shared a 'what on Earth' look. Lauren turned to Puck.

"Not that I don't adore Vogue and GQ here, Puck I thought we were gonna tell everyone together?" Puck looked slightly embarrassed.

"I, uh, had to make my presence known before…" he drifted of lamely, but Lauren nodded in understanding.

"Going at it again in the living room again?" Kurt scowled at her.

"No!" he denied quickly. "We were…having a small disagreement, and had just…resolved that, when Puck decided he needed to 'make his presence known'…" Blaine looked at her with raised appraising eyebrows.

"How come you haven't mentioned being able to _hear us_?" Lauren snorted.

"Riiiight, and how was I supposed to go about that?'Hey guys, wanna come over for dinner tomorrow – oh and by the way I can hear you when you go at it in the living room…and the kitchen?' I don't think so. I just put on my headphones and let y'all get your freak on." Kurt and Blaine both blushed but the foursome simultaneously broke out in a fit of laughter after a moment.

"Well, now we'll know to turn on some music of our own or something," Kurt commented once they had settled down again.

"And make damn sure we lock the front door," muttered Blaine under his breath, his mind wandering back to all the times Puck had burst into the Hummel home without warning.

"Have you told your families yet?" Kurt questioned, looking from Lauren to Puck.

The discussion flowed from there. Neither Lauren nor Puck had told anyone (apart from now Kurt and Blaine) about their nuptials, and they had decided to wait a week before sharing the news with the world. Next year, on their one year anniversary, the couple wanted to have a big party with all of their friends, but were otherwise disinterested in any matrimonial affairs.

Blaine still felt rather uneasy about the whole thing, but when he paused to really look at the two of them together it was obvious, even to him, that they were definitely in love and happy in their decision. It appeared that shortly before graduation, Puck had started really thinking about the future and what he really wanted from his life – he had even gone to temple to pray about it – and from that, the decision to drop everything, move in with Lauren in D.C. and get married, had risen.

Lauren ordered pizza for the four a little while later and Kurt popped out for a bit, only to return with a bunch of white azaleas and a box of Mexican wedding cookies that he had picked up from the nearby corner store. Blaine stole over to his and Kurt's place for a moment to grab a bottle of wine and some candles, and the friends tucked into a highly bizarre but thoroughly enjoyable dinner to celebrate Lauren and Puck's first day as a married couple. As soon as they were finished, the two young men quickly excused themselves so that Lauren and Puck could, er, consummate – or rather, continue consummating – and headed back to their own apartment.

"Did we actually manage to drive each other literally crazy during that argument and the last four hours have been a hallucination?" questioned Kurt, half serious, as he and Blaine walked back into their apartment.

"Pretty impressive if we're having the same hallucination…" observed Blaine with a wry smile.

"We're impressive people," noted Kurt with an air of superiority. "Still," he continued, his regal pose fading, "that's pretty insane that Lauren and Puck are the first to get married from all of our friends." Blaine nodded his agreement.

"It's wild." Kurt took Blaine's hand and pulled him into the bedroom. _Oh_, thought Blaine, '_making up_'_time…I'd nearly forgotten_. He smiled widely as Kurt shut the door and wrapped his arms around the slightly shorter man.

"I love you."

"I love you too. There's no one I'd rather fight with then you." Kurt offered him a small smile and pressed his lips to Blaine's.

"Me neither."

"And there is especially no one I'd rather make up with than you," Blaine whispered seductively into Kurt's ear.

"Me neither," agreed Kurt wholeheartedly, reaching for the hem of Blaine's shirt and yanking it up and over the other man's head. Blaine tried to mirror the action on his boyfriend, but Kurt's outfit consisted of a very complicated Marc Jacobs jumpsuit, which proved quite difficult amid the maze of oddly placed snaps and zippers.

"You always look gorgeous, Kurt, but sometimes I really hate your clothes," Blaine admitted as he dropped his hands from Kurt's frame, closing his eyes in frustration. Kurt giggled and set to work to free himself from the one piece.

"Open your eyes," he instructed in a low voice. A very naked Kurt Hummel greeted Blaine when he opened his eyes. Blaine's gaze ran along Kurt's long, lean frame. As familiar as his boyfriend's body was, the familiarity only aided in his arousal. He loved this man: mind, body and soul.

"I don't see why this look can't be 'worked' on an everyday basis." Kurt smirked at him and hit Blaine's arm playfully.

"And miss out on the sheer deliciousness of a properly placed accessory? I don't think so. _This _look, as magnificent as it is, is reserved just for our alone time."

"Thank goodness for that," Blaine purred, pulling Kurt close to him and raking his hands up and down the sides of his body. A feather-light kiss fell upon Blaine's lips as he closed his eyes, and the distinctive snap of his belt buckle popping open could be heard. Kurt eased the belt open, unbuttoned the top button to his slacks and gently tugged the zipper down.

Blaine was soon in a similar state of undress to his boyfriend, and the two tumbled into the soft cream-colored sheets of their bed together. The two ended up rolling around together, just holding each other and exchanging warm kisses, getting reacquainted with one another yet again.

"I love you, Kurt," breathed Blaine, his warm breath ghosting over the skin of Kurt's collarbone.

"I love you too, Blaine," answered Kurt, reaching under Blaine's arms to pull him up in order to kiss his lips once more. Blaine kissed back with enthusiasm, settling on top of Kurt and urging the other man's mouth open with his tongue. The younger man groaned into the kiss and pulled Blaine's tongue into his mouth, allowing Blaine to lick and explore and generally fuck Kurt's mouth with his tongue. Blaine's hands worked their way down his back until one was gripping the left side of his ass and the other was stroking the cleft of Kurt's butt.

"Ungh," panted Kurt as the kiss broke. Suddenly he was struck by an idea and he gently eased Blaine off of him.

"Wh – oh! I uh, I thought you'd want me to –" Blaine stammered. Kurt shook his head.

"I do, but I wanna ride you."

"Oh! Yeah, okay, _yes_, let's totally do that," agreed Blaine. Blaine smiled at the wicked gleam in Kurt's eyes. He allowed Kurt to arrange his body so that Blaine was flat on his back on the bed, Kurt leaning over him, pressing his lips to Blaine's jaw, his neck, down to his chest, and swirling his tongue around each of Blaine's nipples. Blaine moaned at the stimulation as each of his nipples peaked in turn. After pulling away Kurt leaned forward to kiss Blaine's lips once.

"Sit up," he instructed. Blaine licked his lips and did as he was told, scooting around until he was sitting up with on his knees with his lower legs underneath of him, resting his hips on the balls of his feet. Meanwhile Kurt reached into their nightstand to grab their lube and a bright blue condom. He handed Blaine the condom and flicked open the cap on their lube. Panting, Blaine tore off the wrapper and scrambled to roll it onto himself. Without breaking eye contact, Kurt dribbled a healthy amount of lube onto his hand and scooted down the bed away from Blaine.

"Oh God, damn…Kurt," Blaine choked out as his mind put together what Kurt was about to do. Blaine's right hand clawed around the bed for the discarded bottle of lube, picked it up and spread some on his own hand as Kurt rolled onto his side with his ass facing Blaine and his fingers sliding down the cleft of his ass until he reached his hole.

"I want you so much," growled Kurt in a low voice. Blaine loved how Kurt's voice could transition so easily from gravelly and low to breathy and high – it was always unexpected, and always really freaking hot.

"Me t-too," answered Blaine as his lube slicked hand found his cock and began slowly pumping up and down his length. Kurt spread his legs a little further to give his boyfriend a better view and pressed a finger into himself with a slight whine. A groan of Blaine's was lost as he swallowed harshly at the sight of Kurt preparing himself for him. His hips rocking of their own accord, Kurt pulled his finger out before pushing in a second one and scissoring them, soon adding a third.

"_Fuck!_"

"Just a little –oh!" squeaked Kurt as he made contact with his prostate upon the curl of his three fingers.

"Now?" begged Blaine: as much as he loved watching Kurt do this to himself he really fucking needed to be inside of Kurt, before this was all over with no more than a few haphazard jerks to his own cock.

"Now," agreed Kurt, whimpering slightly as he removed his fingers from his hole. He shuffled on the bed until he hovered over Blaine, one leg bent at the knee on either side of his boyfriend. Blaine reached out and yanked Kurt toward him until their chests were pressed tightly together.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Kurt allowed his knees to relax and he sank down onto Blaine's dick, feeling the wonderful pressure of Blaine filling him up. Thankful for years of yoga, Kurt began lifting his hips and thighs up until he was almost out of Blaine, before lowering himself back down. Blaine thrust up as much as he could at this restrictive angle, but it was really Kurt who controlled the pace in this position.

Kurt tilted his head down to an almost uncomfortable angle and their lips found each other, meeting in a series of wet, messy kisses as Kurt rode Blaine, little whimpers and moans escaping between kisses. Blaine's hands gripped the back of Kurt's thighs, aiding in propelling Kurt up and pulling him down onto Blaine's dick. Kurt wrapped his own hands around Blaine's neck, one hand pushed into Blaine's curls and the other holding on as he bounced up and down.

Eventually Kurt's thighs began to sting and burn from the exertion just as his neck began to ache. He'd love to keep kissing Blaine and getting fucked just like this, but it really wasn't the ideal angle – Blaine inside him felt amazing but it was almost a tease, enough to drive him crazy but not enough friction and pull and prostate bumping to send him over the edge.

"Ungh," moaned Blaine as Kurt dislodged his lips from the other mans.

"Can we change positions? My thighs are getting tired…"

"Of course, what do you wanna try next?" Blaine answered immediately, loosening his grips on Kurt's thighs. Kurt delivered a soft kiss to Blaine's forehead and carefully slid up and off him. He rolled over onto his back on the bed and pushed a pillow under his hips before drawing his knees up and spreading his legs.

"This," he said simply. Without needing further guidance, Blaine shifted so that he was on top of Kurt and pushed his cock back inside Kurt's hole. He left enough room between them to slip his hand down around Kurt's cock, and began pumping up and down in time with his thrusting. A loud, quick succession of French swear words flew out of Kurt's mouth, and Blaine grinned at the effect of the change in angle on his boyfriend. They were both equally aroused; Blaine getting impossibly close to the edge as he felt Kurt bare down on him.

"Guh, Kurt, K-kurt, gonna gonna…" he moaned.

"Uh-huh," agreed Kurt, closing his eyes and concentrating on all the visceral sensations irradiating throughout his body. Blaine thrust particularly deeply and Kurt's back arched off the bed, pushing Blaine and himself into climax at the same time. They rode out each other's orgasms before collapsing together.

Kurt sighed contentedly as Blaine gently pulled out of him, disposed of the condom and fell into Kurt's side for a cuddle.

"That was amazing," noted Kurt.

"All you babe, all you," praised Blaine appreciatively.

"True, true…" teased Kurt. Blaine grabbed Kurt's hip and shifted him onto his side for a second, pausing to deliver a sharp smack to Kurt's ass – earning him a squeal of both surprise and pleasure from the other man.

"Brat," admonished Blaine. Kurt stuck his tongue out, furthering the point.

"You love me."

"I do."

"I love you too."

* * *

><p>Kurt and Blaine settled into life in D.C. quite quickly. Blaine worked forty hours a week as a summer associate for the ACLU, while Kurt busied himself with sketches and fabric samples for hours each morning, before strolling around D.C. and taking in the new inspiration offered by the people, architecture and landscape that a new environment offered him in the afternoon.<p>

Thanks to texting, phone-calls and the internet, Kurt was kept fully in the loop regarding how everyone was doing in New York. Finn had taken a temporary job doing stock at a bookstore while he looked for something permanent, and Rachel was taking summer classes to finish up her degree as she had not been chosen for the role she desired in Les Misérables. Kurt was at first very concerned about the strain that this disappointment would have on Finn and Rachel's new 'living together' dynamic. but they seemed to be rolling with it quite well. Jay and Mercedes seemed to be enjoying their new domesticity – and Quinn and Mercedes were getting along better than they had in months now that they weren't living under the same roof anymore.

"I'd actually sort of forgotten how much fun we have when we're not trying to kill each other," Mercedes had joked over the phone. As for the soon-to-be-wed couple, Quinn was still operating in full Bridezilla mode while she and Kevin continued to make arrangements for their wedding and look for a permanent place to live after Kurt and Blaine returned at the end of August. Detroit was spending most of his summer abroad working with his modeling agency, and Kurt and Mercedes found themselves sharing concerns about how Tina and Detroit would weather the separation.

"It's not that I don't think they can make it," Mercedes had explained hastily in that same phone call, worried that she had sounded too negative. "It's just that I don't think they were as prepared for it as they needed to be." Kurt couldn't say he wholly disagreed, and found himself slightly wistful for the chance to debate this in person. As much fun as he and Blaine were having in D.C. Kurt knew he'd be ready to go home to New York when the time came.

Were it not for the unexpected addition of Puck's presence, Kurt supposed he might have found himself lonely during Blaine's absences. However, Puck would show up at random times throughout the week, usually when Lauren was at work. As … trying, as Kurt sometimes found Puck, it was nice to have someone else around, and to be able to offer his (unasked for) assistance in planning outfits for Puck to wear as he went on job interviews. Between that, meeting and socializing with Blaine's coworkers (Kurt was planning a dinner party with some of Blaine's new colleagues, as well as Puck and Lauren, for either late July or early August) and keeping up with everything going on in New York and in Lima, Kurt was happy to realize that he didn't find himself lonely at all – plus his creative juices were flowing more smoothly and freely than they had since before the entrance of Zeb Marque into his life.

"That's because he's a selfish, greedy bastard who took advantage of your admiration for him and manipulated your best work out of you," Blaine had commented a little _too_ casually when Kurt had mentioned his sudden burst of inspiration. "Now you're just being your fabulous self again." All right, that had lessened Kurt's concern somewhat. And really, if his boyfriend wanted to defend him and compliment him at the same time, who was he to complain?

Today, a Sunday in late June, Kurt and Blaine were getting ready to experience a new twist on a highly regarded tradition – today was the D.C. Gay Pride festival. The day before had marked the Parade, which had been spectacular, if a bit more demure than the one in New York, but both young men were especially looking forward to the festival. Blaine was dressed for the occasion in an "_It's Okay to be Takei_" T-shirt Sam had sent him a few years back, upon the discovery of their mutual affection for Star Trek, and a pair of dark blue cargo shorts, while Kurt had dug out his annual "Pride Festival" T-shirt he had worn every year since their first trip the summer before his freshman year of college – a particularly meaningful t-shirt he had made using Miss Pillsbury's letter press shortly after returning to McKinley from Dalton, that read simply '_Likes Boys_' in large black letters. He complimented the shirt with a pair of red Levi's "Ex-Girlfriend" cut skinny jeans. Once properly primped, Kurt and Blaine headed out the door, onto the subway and down to Pennsylvania Avenue, where the festival would take place in front of the Capitol.

"Do you think this festival will be as much fun as New York's?" Kurt asked curiously as they headed down to the festival location.

"I think it'll be an apples and oranges thing; both cities are so different," commented Blaine thoughtfully.

"I suppose," mused Kurt. They passed several small bunches of revelers as they headed down 7th Street.

"Either way I'm sure we'll have a good time."

It appeared that Blaine's prediction would turn out to be correct, as they heard the steady beat of music and shrieks of laughter and clapping fill their ears from around the corner. The sight that met their eyes as they entered the festival area was indeed different from that of New York's festival, but still held the traditional Gay Pride mixture of excitement, resolve, determination – and, of course, a healthy amount of debauchery.

The two walked hand in hand down Pennsylvania Avenue, each bringing in a certain amount of appreciative attention from other men (and a few women). Kurt was certainly glad that neither he nor Blaine were particularly the jealous type, but that didn't stop him from holding onto Blaine's hand just a little bit tighter when a pair of eyes lingered upon his boyfriend for an extended amount of time. Blaine laughed good-naturedly when he noticed Kurt throwing a glare at a terrified looking teenager, only to dip a hand into Kurt's back pocket when he noticed a trio of middle aged men openly staring at Kurt. Neither Kurt nor Blaine could really blame any of the onlookers, however – each felt they were with the most gorgeous person they'd ever seen.

They ate and danced, played games and laughed amongst a sea of rainbows, and visited booths promoting every kind of gay-related activity known to man. They signed a countless number of petitions promoting dozens of Bills, and chatted briefly with some volunteers from the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce about the current state of the Supreme Court fight over Proposition 8 in California. Kurt couldn't believe that the ballot measure was still being fought in court after all this time.

"Well, I think we've seen everything twice," declared Blaine as the sun dipped lower in the sky.

"I think you're right," agreed Kurt. "This was nice, but I don't think anything will match up with the sheer electricity of Gay Pride in New York." Blaine looked around as they made their way out of the festival area.

"Yeah, I can't even put my finger on it, but something about New York always feels more alive than anywhere else."

"Do you think Puck will like this "I Heart Vaginas" pin I got for him?" Kurt asked with a giggle. Blaine laughed in return as Kurt handed him the rather large pink pin.

"I can't believe you actually bought that thing."

"Neither can I, but the proceeds go to that anti-violence against women play, _The Vagina Monologues_, so I was thinking of the greater good."

"Either way I think Puck will think it's a hoot."

"A hoot? Blaine, honey, sometimes I think you were transported here directly from 1955." Blaine pursed his lips at his boyfriend in mock-hurt as they ran their metro cards through the turnstile.

"Are you making fun of me?" Kurt coyly shook his head and batted his eyelashes at the other man.

"Never," he lied with a grin. Blaine rolled his eyes and pressed a kiss to Kurt's lips.

After a few minutes the train arrived, and the two hopped on board. They quickly sat down, happily chatting away about their day at the festival and who they thought should have won the Drag Queen Diva-Off. The train came to a halt for the first stop after Gallery Place and several more passengers entered the cabin.

"Don't _sit_ like that," a woman's voice scolded in their immediate vicinity.

"Sit like _what_, mom?" a small voice protested.

"Like a _girl_ Gregory," the woman sneered in a harsh whisper. Blaine and Kurt, who had been comparing various purchases and looking over the Gay Men's Chorus CD Kurt had purchased, simultaneously snapped their heads up to steal a glance at the mother and son who were seated facing Kurt and Blaine.

The little boy, who couldn't be more than eight, was barely visible over the heads of the other passengers, but Kurt could see a little brown haired boy that was sitting with his legs crossed, hands neatly folded on top of his lap – exactly the way Kurt happened to be sitting currently, apart from the fact that one of Blaine's hands was clasped between his own – looking fairly miserable as his mother typed away on her iPad.

"Poor kid," sympathized Blaine. He could remember his own mother and father critiquing his masculinity from childhood, really for as long as his memories stretched. Kurt nodded sadly – as fantastic as his own father had been about his coming out and being openly gay, Burt had occasionally tried to 'persuade' Kurt into more 'masculine' mannerisms and activities when he was small as well – usually ending up with one or both of them yelling or in tears. "I wish there was something we could do…"

"I know," seconded Kurt with an edge of frustration in his voice. What could they do though? Go yell at the mom about gender norm-ing her kid? When that kid still had to go home with her? _That'll go over well_, thought Kurt sarcastically.

The little boy suddenly looked up from his stoic position staring into his lap and spied Kurt and Blaine looking at him. Not wanting to freak the child out both men quickly averted their gazes, but when Kurt decided it was safe to steal a glance back, he noticed the little boy looking wide eyed at them. He offered the child a small smile, and the kid's eyes flitted back to his mother to make sure she was still focused on her iPad, before looking back at Kurt and Blaine curiously. He pointed a shy hand out towards them, indicating their clasped hands.

Noticing the questioning look on the little boy's face, Kurt grinned wider, and Blaine smiled as well before winking and pressing a kiss to Kurt's cheek. The little boy's mouth popped open at the sight and he blushed furiously, before returning his gaze to his lap, a happy and slightly overwhelmed smile on his face. Kurt, who didn't always like other people's children (they could be quite messy after all, in addition to often being loud and rude) felt his heart melt at the sight. The train pulled into their metro station, so Kurt and Blaine stood up to leave. The little boy noticed and stole another cautious glance at his mother before waving at them. The boyfriends returned the wave and each gave the child a thumbs-up before they exited the cabin.

"Looks like he's in for a rough road with that mom," commented Blaine.

"You never know; she might get over that as he gets older," replied Kurt optimistically.

"Yeah, I suppose…" agreed Blaine, a slightly skeptical and wistful tone to his voice.

"… And if not," continued Kurt, "he'll just have to find someone who loves him for who he is on his own." Blaine perked up at this and abruptly spun Kurt around, before directing him in a low dip and leaning down to kiss him.

"Definitely."

The two walked hand in hand down P. Street towards their apartment, Blaine humming a familiar tune under his breath. One that Kurt was pretty sure included the words _no regrets, just love_.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, thank you to BM22OwenstinaKlaine4evah for her Makeup!sex prompt as it finally gave me a place to put the klainebrittana angst that I have had semi-written for ages. I'm sorry if anyone was bummed out by fighting!Klaine but every couple, no matter how blissfully in love, has problems and arguments and the same goes for our boys. I wouldn't expect a terribly lot more fighting in the future but when it pops up it will.**

**Chapter 11 will take place in July, Chapter 12 in August and then Chapter 13 in October. Chapter 13 will also mark the ½ way point in this fic as I have (including the epilogue) 26 full (not counting part 1, 2, or 3 of things) chapters planned out for the duration. I'll let you know if that changes however. **

**Thank you for reading, favoriting, alerting, REVIEWING (seriously, I read every single review and squee like a loony tune at each one), and following on tumblr. **

**Reviews, which, have I mentioned I love? Are just a click away and you can also contact me on my tumblr at (remove brackets) [blurtitoutalready][.][tumblr][.][com]. Thanks again!**


	15. Chapter 11

**First of all my most sincere apologies for the lateness of this chapter. I struggled soooooooo much with Writers Block and various life related things of various degrees of stress and awful kept popping up. Also, I wrote, scrapped, and rewrote all 7500+ plus words of this chapter six times, be prepared for some angstyish stuff but it's nothing Klaine can't handle expertly.**_**I promise chapter 12 and 13 will be nothing but fluff, plot and smut.**_

**Hopefully some of you enjoyed the little one shot I wrote as a way to hold you over until this was published. To everyone who sent messages of encouragement (esp on Tumblr) thank you – I really needed it. Thank you for sticking with this fic, and sticking with me. I truly appreciate every single favorite, alert, review and new follow on Tumblr.**

**As a reward for your patience we're doing another little contest: please see the rules at the end of the chapter in the authors note.**

**Without further ado – Chapter 11**

* * *

><p>Late July, 2016.<p>

It had started out as such a nice, innocent, really rather lovely idea – the dinner party, that is. A few weeks into June Kurt had been struck with the idea of having a few of Blaine's new coworkers over for dinner. He then added Lauren and Puck to the list despite a few reservations, as they _were_ their friends and next door neighbors. Blaine was totally on board with the idea and very appreciative of Kurt's enthusiasm and support of his career. Now that Puck had found a job, Kurt was in dire need of a project to give him a little perspective whilst working on his next line anyway – and throwing his rather remarkable organizing skills into planning a fabulous dinner party had seemed to be a perfect outlet.

The party was set to take place on the evening of the 30th: four of Blaine's coworkers had been invited, and all four had thankfully RSVP-d yes; Puck and Lauren were always down with A) hanging out with Kurt and Blaine and B) hey – free food; and Kurt had planned a truly exquisite menu for the occasion. He hadn't had the chance to show off his cooking skills to more than just Blaine in a very long time. The two of them were used to hanging out in New York with rather large groups of their friends so it would be nice to have a full house for a change. With everything planned down to the letter, both were excited for the evening in question to finally arrive.

Things started to unravel late in the afternoon of the 27th, when Blaine's cell phone rang with an unexpected phone call from his mother back home in Ohio.

"_Mom_," Blaine groaned into the phone. "Jesus Mom, no, that's a terrible idea." Blaine ran a frustrated hand though his hair. He clicked his tongue into his cheek as he listened to his mother speak. "Yes, I know that – but it's not like…." Perla Anderson continued and Blaine didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her reasoning. "Yes I know they won't be around forever, I just don't see why…." Blaine glanced at the clock; Kurt would be home from the fabric store any moment. "Kurt and I have plans that night. Kurt has been planning this dinner party for some of my coworkers and Lauren and Puck for weeks now; I just can't ask him to –" Mrs. Anderson suddenly put Blaine's father on the phone.

"I don't understand why I'm just finding out about this _now_," Blaine complained. "Saturday is three days from now….why do they even want to see _me?_" Blaine sighed as he felt himself losing steam, "I know, I know; I just – Kurt and I had –" Blaine growled in frustration. "Yes, of course Kurt is here! Jesus, do you people ever freaking listen to me when I speak?" His father plowed on. "Fine, yes, whatever – I'll figure _something _out, but you guys owe me." Satisfied, Blaine's parents spoke their goodbyes into the phone and hung up. Blaine let his cell phone fall onto the coffee table with a clatter as he slumped backwards onto the couch. Sighing, he ran his hands once again through his increasingly wild-looking hair.

"How did I get myself talked into this?" he questioned aloud. "And _how_ am I going to tell Kurt we've got to cancel or postpone the dinner party he's been working so hard on, because I have to freaking entertain my grandparents who just _had_ to see me that evening?"

"How are you going to tell me _what_?" Kurt asked sharply from where he stood stock-still in the doorway to their apartment, a coffee and a shopping bag in one hand, the other hand still clutching the keys and lock to their door.

"Oh my goodness, Kurt," Blaine said hurriedly, popping up from the couch and rushing to the door, taking the coffee cup and bag out of Kurt's hands as they hung precariously in his loose grasp. Kurt jerked the key out of the door and followed Blaine inside.

"So, um, what?"

"It wasn't my idea," Blaine explained quickly. "My parents _just_ called and dropped a bomb on me. I guess my grandparents are coming to D.C. this Friday because they have to sign some papers or something about my grandfathers old company, and they're not leaving until Sunday and 'wouldn't it be a great idea if I took them out to dinner or something while they're here?'" he finished, repeating his mothers words.

"I don't understand. Every other time we see either your parents or grandparents it's like they can't get the hell away fast enou-" Kurt gulped to stop himself from finishing that sentence. Shit, that sounded awful. "Blaine – I didn't mean –" Blaine waved him off with a flick of his hand.

"No, it's okay; you're right. I'm just as surprised as you. I guess some of my grandparents' friends found out I'm here or something, and so it would seem 'weird' if I didn't see them while they were in town."

"Alright, so what are we going to do with them?" asked Kurt, trying very hard to keep any bitterness out of his tone for Blaine's sake. The corners of Blaine's mouth crept up just a bit and he leaned forward to kiss Kurt softly.

"You are amazing. I don't know. I suppose I'll just take them out to dinner or something. I'm _so sorry,_Kurt, about your dinner party – you were putting it all together for my coworkers and me and…."

"Hold up -" Kurt interrupted, narrowing his eyes. "What do you mean, 'I'll just take them'? You don't have to do this alone, Blaine." Blaine cocked his head to the side, once again reminded that his boyfriend really was wonderful.

"Kurt, you don't have…. they were so awful at Thanksgiving, I don't wanna put you through that again."

"I'm a big boy Blaine. After what happened last time I can understand if you don't _want_ me there –" It was Blaine's turn to cut him off. The two had long since gotten past being annoyed with each other for interrupting as it happened pretty frequently.

"No. It isn't anything like that, you just don't deserve – if they say anything nasty –"

"Like I said babe, I'm a big boy. I can handle myself. It's fine. We'll postpone the party, take your grandparents out to dinner, do our time with them, and then come home and I'll…." Kurt paused to bite his lower lip mischievously and leaned into Blaine's ear, "and then I'll fuck you so hard you won't be able to remember your first name, let alone anything else." Blaine shivered and shook his head while grinning.

"You're the best," he declared, pulling Kurt into a long kiss. Kurt wrapped his hands around Blaine's waist and held him close for a long moment.

"You know," he began, his chin resting against Blaine's cheek, "we don't _have_ to postpone the party." He felt more than heard Blaine open his mouth to protest. "No, wait – just let me finish. This is _our_ home Blaine. We had plans, and I'm fine with incorporating them into the dinner party – heaven knows if anyone can rework a menu for eight into a menu for ten at a moment's notice _I_ can – and having your coworkers, Laure and Puck present, might…lessen the impact a bit, you know? The other guests can absorb a bit of the…"

"_Them-_ness?" Blaine finished dryly.

"Exactly," Kurt agreed. He paused and waited for Blaine to contemplate his suggestion. After a long moment, Blaine let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"That might just work."

"Alright, it's settled then."

"Thank you. I don't even know how I got roped into this. My mom was saying about how _she_ has to deal with them a few times a year and it wouldn't kill me to spend some time with them, and about how they won't be around forever and they're my father's parents…and then my dad was going on about being grateful for my family and it just…happened."

"People think it's so easy to just walk away from your family, and maybe for some people it is – but it's okay if you wanna be connected to them even if there's all this….muck, in the way." Kurt reassured him. Blaine sighed and leaned harder into Kurt's shoulder.

"You really are the best," he mumbled into the folds of his lovers coat.

"Don't ever forget it," Kurt joked. He rubbed his thumb into the small of Blaine's back with one hand and cupped the other boys chin with the other, tilting his face up so that Kurt could kiss him. After a moment, Kurt pulled away.

"Why don't you give your grandparents a call while I go to the grocery store…? And then I'd better go visit Puck and Lauren, and try to convince Puck not to do anything too outlandish while they're here."

"Honestly Kurt, I really don't care what Puck does. Like you said, this is our home. We're having French food right?"

"Mhmm," Kurt answered, picking up his coffee and grabbing his house keys from the coffee table. "I've had the menu worked out for ages. Oh goodness, do you think we should change it to make it more 'American'? Right now we're having coq au vin – I picked up this amazing unknown wine from Gaillac for the sauce – with creamed potatoes and a simple salad. I had to check with Puck because it isn't exactly Kosher, but he said it was fine and he's really only trying to bother with that during the High Holy days now. I could change it though if –"

"No. No, it sounds perfect Kurt, and if my grandparents have a problem with your menu, they'll just have to live with it. I don't want them to push us around like they do my mom and dad."

"Okay. I'll be back in a while then. I love you Blaine."

"I love you too." With a last peck to Blaine's cheek, Kurt turned and walked back through the front door. _How the _Hell _did I get so lucky_? Blaine thought, thanking whatever good deed he did in a past life that brought him Kurt in this one.

Blaine called his grandparents, and while they were far from thrilled about the idea of spending the evening anywhere other than a fancy D.C. restaurant (of which there were "so many to choose from Blaine – really wouldn't you rather –" his grandmother offered), and even less thrilled at the idea the Kurt would be with Blaine, they were nonetheless slightly placated by the opportunity to meet some of Blaine's coworkers who were also law students (even if they were working for those 'activist-judge-loving communists' over at the ACLU) and eventually agreed to come to Kurt and Blaine's apartment for the soirée.

The second… hiccup, so to speak, occurred on the day of the party. The four coworkers Blaine had invited from his group of summer associates at the ACLU all lived in the same neighborhood, and were planning on taking the Metro to Dupont Circle and then walking the rest of the short distance over to Kurt and Blaine's apartment. The trip from Shady Grove over to Dupont was _supposed_ to only take a little over half an hour. Unfortunately, a little after six o'clock Blaine's phone beeped with two new text messages, one from his Metro Alert App letting him know the red line was currently experiencing technical difficulties, and the other from his coworker Devin, explaining that he and the other three guests had just gotten on the Metro and barely made it to Rockville before the train came to a screeching halt. Apparently there was a very serious issue with the electrical system and the red line was going to be delayed by at least two hours, but since they were stuck in between Rockville and Twinbrook, they couldn't get out of the train or take something else or really move at all. Devin told Blaine he'd keep them updated, but that if the in-and-out lighting they were experiencing sitting in their railcar was any indication; the four might not make it at all.

Kurt, who was busy working on the finishing touches to his Tartelettes de Framboises au Mascarpone, was not pleased at the news, but managed to keep relatively calm, since the text had exacerbated the already high level of stress Blaine was experiencing.

"It'll be fine," assured Kurt as he took a tartelette and popped it into Blaine's mouth to keep him from launching into a rambling freak out. Blaine couldn't help but smile as he chewed the delicious treat, but once he swallowed the anxious look returned to his features. He opened his mouth to reiterate his worries but Kurt, who had heard nothing but Blaine's worries for the last two days, held up his hand.

"Don't push it," he said half-sternly, half-comfortingly. "I'll run out of Tarts before they get here if I have to keep shutting you up with them." Blaine's face relaxed a little and he laughed, pulling Kurt into a kiss.

"Sorry, I'm being crazy."

"Just a smidge," agreed Kurt, although he was admittedly a bit apprehensive himself. Having Blaine's grandparents over to their apartment, especially now that it looked like it would be just the Anderson seniors, Puck, Lauren, Kurt and Blaine – which was after all _his_ idea – was looking more and more like a recipe for disaster the closer it came to being a reality. However, he needed to keep it together for Blaine's sake, so he kissed his boyfriend softly a few more times before pulling away, removing his apron and setting the last of the timers and pulling Blaine into the living room to wait for their guests to arrive.

Lauren and Puck were, unsurprisingly since they lived next door, the first to arrive. Puck found the hors d'oeuvres Kurt (with Blaine's help) had prepared and quickly occupied himself with eating them out of house and home. Thankfully Kurt had backup hors d'oeuvres in the fridge, in case Puck cleaned them out before Blaine's grandparents arrived.

"Oh you guys, this looks great," Lauren said approvingly as she admired Kurt's décor for the evening.

"Thanks. It's too bad we don't think my other friends are going to make it in time to experience Kurt's killer culinary skills though," Blaine noted while frowning. He quickly explained about the issue on the red line.

"That sucks if they won't be able to make it. Thanks for hosting – the thought of your delicious cooking was all that got me through today on the Floor." Kurt smiled brightly at her praise.

"What happened?" Blaine asked Lauren curiously.

"Remember when Sue decked that lady at Regionals, junior year?" The three nodded in cringing acknowledgement. "Jean's Bill got delayed – again – for a vote because these assholes wanna go back on summer recess and, as you can imagine, Sue wasn't too happy about it. Let's just say it's a good thing I wrestled for all those years in high school and college or else I'd be bailing Sue out of jail right now," she finished darkly as Puck looked on with pride.

"Yikes," murmured Kurt as Blaine nodded in agreement. Kurt shuffled around the room, straightening and re-straightening throw pillows and an arrangement of sun flowers that sat on an end table near one of the rooms' armchairs. "Have you talked to Dave lately, Puck?" he asked. Puck hastily swallowed another chèvre truffle before answering.

"Nah, I haven't talked to him in a couple weeks."

"He and Liam broke up," Kurt informed him.

"Shit," said Puck with a frown, "that sucks." Lauren nodded in agreement.

"Those two were together for what, like…two years or something?"

"Over," noted Kurt.

"What happened?" Lauren asked.

"Well, I mean, their whole relationship was long distance you know? Now that school's over they moved in together in May and I guess – now that they saw each other all the time – it didn't work."

"Ugh," groaned Lauren, "that happens to so many people! That totally sucks."

"Yeah, it does, and there are all sorts of issues about who should move out now and Dave moved to Indianapolis so he could go to grad school and be near Liam – it's just a mess right now."

"What's he going to grad school for again?" Lauren asked.

"He's going to be a math teacher," Kurt explained.

"Well at least he'll have school in another month to distract him," Lauren offered. Kurt nodded as he heard another knock on the door.

"Showtime," said Blaine in a slightly overly cheerful tone. He straightened his collar and opened the door.

"Still sporting the hippy hair," Marcus Anderson stated with distaste before he and his wife had cleared the threshold to Kurt and Blaine's doorstep. Blaine chose to ignore the dig.

"Hi Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Anderson," greeted Kurt politely. He felt a lot more self-confident seeing Blaine's grandparents for the second time. They were rather like any other bully: showing that their digs got to you only encouraged them. Kurt was determined to kill them – or at least shut them up – with kindness. That was if his snarky side didn't do them in first.

"Kurt," answered Evelyn Anderson with a stiff smile. She let Blaine take her light jacket and peered around the room, taking in their belongings and the tray of appetizers Kurt had spread out onto an end table. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise when she turned her head to the left and spotted Puck and Lauren sitting comfortably on the couch, Puck's arm draped over Lauren's shoulders with him pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Oh – right! Grandmother, grandfather; these are Kurt's and my friends," Blaine introduced them as the three men followed Evelyn into the living room. "This is Puck and his wife Lauren," he explained. Prepared for anything, Lauren and Puck smirked at the elder Andersons' bewildered expressions.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Anderson," offered Lauren with a grin. She held out her hand to Mrs. Anderson, but Evelyn stood several paces away and stared at the couple for a moment.

"You two are married?" she asked incredulously. The Puckermans (Lauren still used Zizes professionally, but had legally changed her name when they got married) laughed.

"Yeah! Dude," (Marcus and Evelyn both scoffed silently upon being addressed as 'dude'), "we're young and all, but we got married last month."

"Right…" replied Evelyn slowly. The six stood around awkwardly for a moment before Kurt requested Puck and Lauren's assistance in the kitchen for a moment.

"That punk with the Mohawk lose a bet or something?" Marcus asked Blaine. Blaine cocked an eyebrow at his grandfather.

"What are you talking about?"

"Funny, you don't usually see men stick around like that after…" Evelyn drifted off lamely.

"After what? What are _you_ talking about?" asked a nonplussed Blaine.

"Well for heaven's sake, he must have knocked her up or something for him to marry _her_," remarked Evelyn with a disapproving click of her tongue. Blaine scowled at them.

"Puck and Lauren don't have any children together – and you're being completely cruel," hissed Blaine, thankful that the couple in question had left the room. He thought about expounding upon the various good qualities of both Lauren and Puck, but he really didn't need to justify or make the case for their (or his own) relationship to anyone – certainly not to try and change his grandparents' minds. Evelyn and Marcus shrugged their shoulders innocently.

"It's just – unusual…" Evelyn stated defensively after a moment.

"Yeah, well love brings all kinds of 'unusual' things together," snapped Blaine. His grandparents scowled right back at him, but thankfully didn't say anymore on the subject.

"Where are the other people from your internship, Blaine?" asked Marcus as he glanced at his watch. Blaine rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"They're stuck on the Metro – the red line is having some issues. We're not sure when, or if, they'll be able to make it."

"Sounds like you should have planned better," commented Marcus. Blaine bit back a retort by chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"Well…the six of us are here now and since it's six instead of ten we can fit around the dining room table comfortably. Kurt made a bunch of really delicious food, why don't you try some?" Evelyn looked at Kurt's tray of hors d'oeuvres appraisingly.

"He made all this?" she asked skeptically.

"Kurt's a real whiz in the kitchen," confirmed Blaine with a smile. His grandparents gingerly sat on their couch. "Quiche?" offered Blaine awkwardly. Evelyn pursed her lips but picked up one of the small plates next to the tray on the end table and took a few appetizers for herself and her husband. "So…" Blaine started slowly, "how'd your business go yesterday?"

"Fine, fine," began Marcus, launching into a long (and frankly boring) explanation of the transfer of power between two merging corporations that Evelyn and he had significant stock in. Thankfully Kurt, Lauren and Puck reappeared after a few minutes. Kurt had prepared a number of party games for the occasion, but after a few more minutes of extremely awkward small talk, he decided it might be better to save 'Which Celebrity' and 'Charades' for after dinner. He ushered everyone from the living room into the dining room. The dining table was decorated with a new white tablecloth, and dark blue napkins that had been folded into delicate looking flowers were positioned next to bright red plates. White candles sat in metallic candle holders and the centerpiece of the table was a miniature Eiffel tower.

Kurt had been a bit apprehensive about the French theme to the dinner party, but it appeared that Mr. and Mrs. Anderson weren't especially bothered by France or French food. Blaine had anticipated this, explaining to Kurt their theories about high culture versus low culture – high culture usually being anything that involved white Europeans. Kurt had been sorely tempted to reorganize the meal/theme into a completely Filipino menu, but with only a few days left to plan, he had decided to stick with his original idea.

Kurt, Blaine, Puck, Lauren and the Andersons senior all took their seats around the table. Mr. Anderson tried to initiate a prayer similar to the one at Thanksgiving, but Puck interrupted by grabbing several dishes at once and loading up his plate immediately. For once Kurt was thankful for Puck's lack of table manners.

As the only other woman available, Mrs. Anderson chose to sit directly next to Lauren.

"How do you know Blaine?" she asked. Lauren smiled fondly.

"Kurt, Puck and I were in the same show choir in high school." Mrs. Anderson grimaced slightly at the mention of show choir. Kurt scowled at her, knowing that neither she nor her husband had ever gone to any of Blaine's performances, even though his parents had at least attended Regional's in his senior year. Mrs. Anderson pointed towards Puck.

"_He_ was in show choir?" Lauren laughed.

"Yeah. He actually got me into the whole thing. It's kind of a funny story really…" She launched into her recollection of finding Puck trapped in a port-a-potty at school in their junior year, leaving Evelyn looking fairly horrified.

"What kind of name is Puck?" questioned Mr. Anderson.

"It's _my _name, dude," was Puck's retort.

"Puck is a nickname, but it's really what he prefers to be called."

"Like a hockey puck? You play hockey son?" asked the Anderson patriarch, sounding genuinely interested for once. Puck laughed.

"No. No hockey. I did play football in college, and football and baseball in high school. OSU all the way."

"They finished out third in their division this year," commented Blaine.

"Yeah we did!" exclaimed Puck proudly. Blaine and Puck turned to each other and began fondly reminiscing about particularly memorable OSU games during Finn, Puck and Dave's time there. Lauren got up from the table to use the bathroom, and Mr. and Mrs. Anderson turned their attention onto Kurt.

"Blaine is here in D.C. working this summer: what are _you_ doing?" Mr. Anderson asked, his tone thick with accusation.

"I'm working on my next fashion line for a buyer I'm in contact with," answered Kurt immediately.

"You have a contract with this buyer?" Evelyn inquired. Kurt remembered her faint interest at thanksgiving when he mentioned working for Zeb Marque so he plowed on with renewed confidence.

"Not exactly, it's more of a freelance thing – the buyer will look over my line once it's finished and can purchase anything they're interested in."

"So you're not contributing anything financially to the upkeep of this apartment then?" Marcus sneered. Kurt faltered, but steadied himself.

"I'm not bringing in any money at the moment, no….but I'm hoping to get a more permanent position once Blaine and I get back to New York."

"So Gerald and Perla are financing your summer, hmm Kurt?" Kurt's mouth popped open.

"Blaine wanted me to be here with him." Blaine's head snapped up at the mention of his name.

"It must be nice, having everything handed to you."

"I wouldn't know," snapped Kurt.

"Lay off," ordered Blaine.

"We're simply concerned about this…boy taking advantage of our family's finances Blaine," reasoned Evelyn. Heat rose to Blaine's face immediately – a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"That is ridiculous," defended Blaine. Lauren returned from her trip to the bathroom and joined Puck to silently watch the argument play out.

"Is it?" asked Marcus innocently.

"Yes, actually it is," hissed Kurt. Evelyn looked across at Kurt dismissively before returning her attention back to her grandson.

"We just don't want you making any kind of…commitments, you can't get out of…" she drifted off. Blaine raised an eyebrow at her. _No way_ was she bringing up what it sounded like she was bringing up.

"Repeating others' mistakes," offered Marcus mysteriously – well, mysteriously to everyone but Blaine. Kurt looked from Blaine to his grandparents, nonplussed.

"One more word about my mother and I swear to God –!" thundered Blaine, suddenly furious. Kurt, Lauren and Puck looked over at Blaine, alarmed, and Puck and Lauren exchanged confused glances. Kurt put the pieces together in his head quickly and laid a soothing hand on top of his boyfriend's. "Really? You _really_ think that spending an hour going on nonstop with your little jabs and thinly veiled insults is going to somehow lead to Kurt and me breaking up? Insinuating that Kurt and my _mother_are in this for the _money_? That's pathetic. Kurt and I are a family. I respect that you are where I came from – but Kurt, Kurt's where I'm going." Kurt nodded; his best bitch face firmly in place.

"Frankly I find your homophobic and xenophobic reasoning rather dull and tedious. Uninspired really: next time try something just a smidge more creative hmm?" Both Evelyn and Marcus stared at Kurt in a full on glare.

"Well I never –"began Evelyn. Blaine cut her off with a raised palm. He stood up abruptly, turned and dashed out of the room and into the kitchen. Kurt worried his bottom lip between his teeth, glancing frantically between the kitchen and Blaine's grandparents, unsure of whether he should follow Blaine. Experience told him he should let his boyfriend calm down for a minute, so he instead turned his fuming attention back to Blaine's grandparents.

"You need to stop this!" seethed Kurt as quietly as he could. "Fine, I get it – you hate me. Good for you. But can you really not see that you are hurting him with your snide remarks?"

"We are trying to help our grandson," countered Evelyn; "help him away from this….path. Someone has to think of his future."

"Blaine and I have been dating since we were in high school! We live together, we love each other: the only thing that's going to change about our relationship in the future is that someday we're going to get married and adopt a carload of kids – and if you wanna be a part of their lives, you both need to hurry the hell up and get with the program."

"Lots of little Klaine babies in their future, I suspect," piped up Puck suddenly. Lauren giggled at the notion. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson gaped at him but Puck merely shrugged his shoulders. "What? It's gonna be adorable." Blaine reappeared in the doorway to the dining room.

"You need to leave. I told my parents I'd agree to have you two over – we've served our sentence and you both have more than worn out your welcome." Blaine still looked upset, but his voice came out steady and firm.

"It would be my pleasure to show you to the door," Kurt remarked with a sly smirk.

The Anderson elders huffed indignantly but left nonetheless, muttering about tattling on Blaine to his parents the whole way out the door.

"Nicely done guys," commented an impressed Lauren as Kurt brought out dessert.

"Badass!" seconded Puck. Kurt and Blaine both covered their faces with their hands.

"Seriously dudes. I'm sorry but your grandparents kind of suck, Blaine," stated Puck bluntly. Blaine let out an exasperated laugh and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

"Yeah, they kind of do."

"Awesome party Hummel," Lauren joked with a laugh as they all finished eating the last bits of Kurt's feast. The four looked at each other for a long moment before they all burst out laughing as well – for Blaine, the only option was really to either laugh or cry, and with Kurt suddenly behind him rubbing the small of his back with one hand and the tension in his neck with the other, a reminder of Kurt's steadfast support, he easily chose laughter.

"We'll see you guys Monday night for Screen on the Green?" Lauren inquired once they had settled down again.

"We'll be there," answered Kurt and Blaine in unison, thankful for the subject change.

"Better be. _Cool Hand Luke_ is gonna be awesome," noted Puck.

"Thank you guys for coming," Blaine said earnestly. Puck and Lauren nodded with slightly sad smiles.

"Kurt man can I score some of this extra food?" asked Puck hopefully. Kurt rolled his eyes grandly but nodded and shooed Puck back into the kitchen with a light laugh.

"Forget about 'em doll," advised Lauren as Blaine's expression became cloudy once more. "My dad's side of the family can't deal with Puck being Jewish. Hello…it's 2016 guys…" she finished with a bitter eye roll.

"Seriously? Jeez, does everybody suck?"

"Compared to us? Yes," quipped Lauren with a grin. Kurt and Puck reappeared in the living room, Puck's arms laden down with enough food to last him and Lauren nearly a week.

"Bye guys," called Lauren and Puck in valediction as they made their way out the door and back to their own apartment.

"Never again," declared Blaine. "I am never putting you – hell, or me – through that again with them. I don't know what I was thinking." Kurt grabbed Blaine by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug.

"You were thinking about trying to please everyone, like you always do. Really Blaine, I'm fine. How are you, baby?" he asked tenderly. Blaine took a deep calming breath.

"I'm okay – I just don't get why they have to be like that."

"I don't know, Blaine." Kurt held Blaine close to him for another long moment before pulling away and kissing Blaine on the nose. "Help me clean up and then we can go relax in bed okay?" Blaine's ears perked up at the suggestion.

"Okay." The two set to work loading the dishwasher and clearing what little mess the brief party had created. Kurt looked down at his piled of party games regretfully for a moment before gathering them and stowing them away in a box to use another day. After about ten minutes the apartment was back in order and Kurt was tugging Blaine into the bedroom by the hand.

Though Kurt had promised to 'fuck Blaine's brains out,' Blaine just looked _exhausted_ from the dinner. Not too exhausted for sex, but the kind of sex Kurt now had in mind was definitely more of the slow sweet variety, rather than the fast, up against a wall variety. Maybe later. Blaine smiled shyly up at Kurt as Kurt placed a kiss to his forehead and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Kurt, I –" Kurt held a finger up to Blaine's lips to shush him.

"I know. We are in this together, Blaine. Together," Kurt assured him simply. Blaine sighed, nodded, and let Kurt undress him, Kurt planting soft kisses along every newly exposed area of Blaine's skin. Once he was in just his boxers Blaine settled his hands onto Kurt's hips and walked them both backwards onto their bed, leaning back until Kurt toppled over on top of him.

"You're wearing too many clothes," commented Blaine. Kurt smirked down at him.

"I think you need to rectify that."

"Certainly," agreed Blaine with a laugh. He rolled them over until they were each on their sides, facing each other. With careful hands he unbuttoned Kurt's vest and pulled it off, his shirt following quickly behind it. Kurt's belt was complicated but with some assistance Blaine got that off too, Kurt's pants not far behind.

"Turn over," instructed Kurt. Blaine quickly complied. Kurt reached over into their nightstand and took out the small bottle of massage oil that lived next to the water based lube they used for sex.

"Mmm, vanilla," breathed Blaine approvingly as Kurt snapped the lid off the bottle. Kurt poured a healthy amount of the oil onto his hands and got to work massaging away the knots of tension in Blaine's neck and upper back. It was more sensual than sexual, but Blaine groaned happily into the touch nevertheless.

"Have you talked to Wes lately?" asked Kurt as he rubbed against Blaine's broad shoulders.

"Mmhmm," answered Blaine. "Yesterday. He's got a new girlfriend now."

"Oh?"

"Esperanza. From what little he told me she seems nice. They met on the beach; she's a grad student at UCLA as well."

"Good for him."

"Yeah. I miss him. Seeing him at Spring Break seems like such a long time ago."

"It kind of sucks he's so far away all the time."

"It does, but California makes him happy and he's going to be traveling a lot after he graduates anyway and – oh Kurt that feels really good – uh, but yeah I miss him." Kurt could sympathize, but felt extremely lucky so many of his friends had ended up in New York with him, and now Finn as well. They still had about three weeks left in D.C., and he loved it here, but he'd be ready to go home.

Kurt's phone chirped with the arrival of a new email, but he ignored it in favor of stroking his boyfriend's mid and lower back. Blaine hummed again into the touch, this time an 'oh fuck' escaping his lips as the massage took a more sexual turn. With a fleeting thought to the massage oil-stained laundry in his near future, Kurt tugged Blaine's boxers down and off with one hand, before resuming the massage, his hand dipping into the small of Blaine's back and the curve of his ass.

"Mmhmm, oh my god – Kurt!" groaned Blaine as Kurt kneaded the flesh of his ass with his fingers.

"Feel good?" asked Kurt unnecessarily.

"Ungh, yes. So good," whined Blaine. Feeling much more at ease and frankly pretty damn turned on at this point, Blaine was beginning to ache to touch Kurt rather than just be touched by him. He lifted his shoulders and Kurt halted the massage. Blaine rolled over onto his stomach.

"Come here."

Kurt acquiesced to this request easily and wrapped his hands around Blaine's back, tangling their legs together amidst the sheets.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

They kissed lazily for several minutes, slowly rubbing against each other, savoring the sensation of skin against skin, tongue against tongue. Eventually Blaine reached down to the elastic of Kurt's boxers and eased them down and off his hips. Kurt's breath caught in his throat as he kicked the boxers off and felt Blaine's hand wrap around his cock. Blaine stroked him gently before pulling away, giving his hand a good lick and going back to jerking Kurt off. Kurt's head fell onto Blaine's shoulder as he rutted slowly into Blaine's fist, little whimpers and cries of pleasure escaping.

"K-Kurt…" Blaine moaned as he nipped at Kurt's shoulder blade.

"Y-yes?" asked Kurt breathily.

"I want….inside…."

"_Yes_."

Blaine's thumb rolled over the head of Kurt's cock and Kurt squeaked in pleasure before pulling back from Blaine's grasp. Blaine had almost finished everything before they could get to what Blaine was asking for. Kurt pushed Blaine gently down and onto his back. He straddled his boyfriend, peppering his skin with delicate kisses along his jaw, over his neck, onto his chest, swirling his tongue around each of Blaine's nipples as he made his way down.

Blaine's hips struggled not to snap forward as Kurt made his way further down his body. Kurt was going torturously slowly. Blaine knew the purpose behind Kurt's slow, gentle style but when his cock was hard and aching, he wasn't sure if he loved or hated the treatment – probably both.

Kurt kissed over Blaine's hips, sucking into the skin where divots of flesh meeting bone appeared. He kissed along Blaine's thighs, over his balls and up the shaft of his cock, licking long languid stripes up to the head of his penis.

"Fuck, Kurt," moaned Blaine, throwing his head back against one of the many pillows on the bed. Kurt grinned at Blaine's reaction and reached under his knees to pull them up. He kissed the backs of each of Blaine's knees and planted wet kisses along his thighs. He paused momentarily to reposition a couple of pillows under Blaine's hips and grab a condom and their lube from the drawer. After rolling the condom onto himself, Kurt shifted his body up to meet Blaine's, kissing the other man gently on the lips.

"Please," Blaine pleaded.

"Shh, I've got you," reassured Kurt. He dribbled a little lube onto his still slightly slick fingers so they would be slippery enough to penetrate Blaine, and stroked at Blaine's cock a few times before grazing his balls and perineum on the way to his entrance. Blaine sighed in relief as Kurt swirled a finger around the ring of muscle just once before plunging in.

"Yes," groaned Blaine as Kurt prepped him; one finger, two, and then a third soon after. After a few minutes Blaine was ready, and Kurt lined himself up at Blaine's entrance. He leaned his forehead against Blaine's as he slowly pushed inside. Blaine gripped Kurt's hips with his hands and wrapped his legs around Kurt, urging him on.

"Ungh," whimpered Kurt, as he was engulfed in heat and pressure. A thin sheen of sweat had developed on both of their bodies, and they slid together easily, as Kurt began thrusting gently in and out of his boyfriend.

"Faster," begged Blaine. Kurt, who had been doing everything in his power to make this slow and sweet for Blaine, couldn't really deny his boyfriend anything after all, so he increased the pace of his thrusts, earning him an approving, 'mhfph' from Blaine. Blaine thrust up as well, his hips meeting Kurt's on every stroke.

They rocked together, Blaine wrapped tightly around Kurt with his arms around his neck, and his ankles locked around Kurt's lower back. Blaine bore down on his inner walls as Kurt pushed into him again and again.

Blaine pulled Kurt's earlobe into his mouth and nipped on it gently as Kurt reached between them to resume stroking at Blaine's dick. Kurt's other hand reached up and tangled itself in Blaine's messy curls, tugging distractedly at a few locks of Blaine's hair.

"So beautiful," commented Kurt as he drank in the sight of his wrecked boyfriend.

"Hnng, oh! Oh! Kurt, oh God – " gasped Blaine incoherently as Kurt pushed into him a little harder and faster, knowing Blaine was getting close to the edge. His strokes to Blaine's cock grew more urgent as well. Blaine came over Kurt's hand a moment later, throwing his head back and biting his lip as his orgasm overcame him.

Kurt stroked Blaine through it and snapped his hips harder, making contact with Blaine's prostate each time and helping Blaine ride out his orgasm just a little bit longer. Soon enough Kurt too peaked, Blaine's legs tight around his back keeping him flush to Blaine's body.

Kurt sighed luxuriously and collapsed on top of his boyfriend. They lay together for a few moments as their breathing returned to something approaching normal. Eventually Kurt grew too sensitive, so he gently slid out of Blaine's hole and tied off the condom, throwing it with impressive aim into the trash can. Blaine immediately pulled Kurt back to him and nuzzled his face into Kurt's chest.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too, Blaine."

"Even with my crazy family?"

"Especially with your crazy family." Kurt gave Blaine a squeeze before pulling away slightly. Blaine pouted at the loss of contact, "I'll love you even more once I don't have your drying come all over my stomach though." Blaine stuck his tongue out and Kurt dived forward for one last heated kiss.

Once he had climbed out of bed and cleaned himself off (Blaine, for his part, had fallen asleep less than a minute after Kurt left the bed) Kurt pulled on a fresh pair of boxers and a pair of pajama pants. He opened his laptop and checked his email. He smiled fondly over at Blaine as the page loaded. Once the page loaded he went to work replying to the many emails he had received over the course of the day – one from Gil, two from Rachel, one from Tina, one from his dad, and one in particular that caused him to bite back a squeal of delight, so as to not wake Blaine up as he replied. When the email was sent, Kurt went to his saved bookmarks and clicked on a half-filled out order form. He finished the form, clicked 'purchase,' and grinned dopily at the computer screen as a confirmation email popped up in his inbox.

Together Kurt and Blaine were going to do more than survive anything life threw at them – come hell or high water, they were going to thrive.

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><p><strong>Alright, there you have it. I hope it was worth the wait. We'll be learning a lot more about Blaine's family as time goes on, especially chapter 14 forward and no, it will not<strong>_**all**_**be angst, thankfully. I would appreciate any feedback about this chapter you might have.**

**I really enjoyed working the prompts into the story (as you may have seen I was only supposed to pick one prompt but managed to work three in…) and would love to see some more – so we're going to have another little contest – BUT I've changed the rules a bit to hopefully avoid the confusion some people felt with the last one.**

**Prompt contest: **Got a prompt? It can be smutty, fluffy, or even plotty – if you have an idea or something you'd like to see please include it with your review of this chapter. Over the next seven days (8/20) you may prompt anything you'd like via a review and at the end of that time I will pick at least one prompt and work that into the story. If you write a really excellent prompt but it doesn't meld well with ITT I may decide to write a one-shot dedicated to it. Any prompts received after 8/20 will not be eligible for the contest, prompts must be prompted via a review so everyone can see what the contenders are. You may also second someone else's prompt if you'd like.

**Lastly, there is a new Klaine fanfiction site called Scarves and Coffee that I've been thinking about posting the story on as well but my technical skills don't seem to be translating into posting easily on their site. If anyone has any assistance on this, or an opinion on the matter - I welcome it. **

**If you're inclined to review please do and stay tuned for updates regarding in this together via my tumblr (remove brackets) [blurtitoutalready][.][tumblr][.][com]. Thank you so much for your support.**


	16. Chapter 12

**Hi Guys. This week has been absolutely wretched for me, so I'm glad we were able to make it here now. First of all, thank you to those who left lovely, lovely reviews from the last chapter, I'm so sorry I kept you waiting forever and am thrilled so many of ya'll are sticking around! We passed 30,000 hits a few days ago and about 1000 people read this story each week which is absolutely mindboggling for me. **

**Anyways Klaine dearies, we're less than a month away from Glee, the next chapter of this will be our half way point, and we're all still here reading and enjoying our Klaine. All things to smile about. Thank you for reading, to darling Beta for beta-ing, and thanks for stickin' around.**

**Chapter 12 – AKA 'it's so fluffy I'm gonna die.' It might seem a bit frivolous, but I promise we're building towards….well towards Big Chapter 13. Unlike the last couple chapters this one includes several breaks – I hope it doesn't read too disjointed. Also, mild kink-ish warning.**

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><p><strong>Late August, 2016<strong>

Blaine rolled his shoulders back into a stretch from his seat amongst the other summer associates at the ACLU. His eyes were tired from researching the precedent behind an upcoming fourth amendment case that the ACLU was involved with. Though he really loved the challenges of Law School, when he reached the sixth hour of reading ancient case law his mind couldn't help but drift fondly back to afternoons of bopping around the Dalton senior commons with his fellow Warblers.

While today might be the last day of his internship – other than his coworkers and boss taking him out to lunch the work day was still very much filled with case notes, briefings and legal research. He summer had flown by: Blaine could hardly believe it was nearly over. As much as he had enjoyed being in D.C. and getting some real hands-on legal experience, Blaine was just as excited as Kurt to get back home to New York in a few days. He missed the buzz of New York City along with his friends.

"Hey, Anderson!" The cheerful voice of Blaine's fellow summer associate Devin called from the hallway of their office, breaking Blaine's train of thought. Blaine cracked his neck before wheeling his chair backwards a bit so he could stick his head out the door.

"What's up?"

"You've got a package," Devin stated with a mysterious grin. Brow furrowed in confusion as he wasn't expecting anything, Blaine stood up from his chair to make his way across the office to the office manager's desk.

"Thanks man," he called to Devin's retreating back. Blaine sighed as he approached the office manager – a 20 something guy named Bill who had been steadily hinting that maybe Blaine and Bill should go out sometime or something all summer and though he wasn't harassing about it he was kind of annoying. Kurt, who was well used to people hero-worshiping Blaine (after all he had done a bit of it himself the first few months of their relationship before coming to the startling revelation that Blaine was as human as anyone else), thought the whole thing was rather funny. He did however offer to speak to Bill for Blaine and tell him to stop flirting with his man. Thankful for Kurt's lack of jealousy, Blaine had reassured Kurt that he'd told Bill he was very much happily taken.

"Hi Bill…" he began once he reached the front of Bills desk. Bill stopped typing on the computer and looked up at Blaine with a rather annoyed face. _What's that about_, wondered Blaine to himself. "So…Devin said I have a package?"

"Yes," grumbled Bill irritably. He reached just behind the desk. "This just arrived for you from a Kurt Hummel." Blaine's eyes widened and he broke into a broad smile as Bill lifted a bouquet of yellow and white daisy's and….daisy shaped sugar cookies that were propped up on plastic green posts?

"Whoa!" Blaine exclaimed excitedly as he took the bouquet from a glaring Bill.

"Usually interns don't have their mail sent here," snapped Bill. Blaine shrugged his shoulders and tried to not look so over the moon for Bills sake.

"Sorry! Kurt didn't know. It's my last day anyway, so it won't happen again. Would you like a cookie?" he offered politely, pulling one of the wrapped cookies off of its posts.

"No, thank you," answered Bill huffily. Blaine tilted his head in what he hoped was an empathetic manner before turning and practically skipping back to his office, handing out cookies to the other interns along the way.

When he finally made it back to his own office he set the bouquet down and reached for the little card from the flower shop.

_Blaine,_

_I hope you are having a wonderful last day. I'm really proud of you and all the hard work you've been doing this summer. See you at home honeybee. I love you._

_-Kurt_

Thinking he just might die from adorableness overload Blaine looked at the bouquet once more and noticed the basin the flowers were sitting in was blue with little black and white honeybee's on it – a nickname for Blaine that Kurt had come up with the summer between Kurt's junior and senior year of high school.

After glancing at the clock to make sure that the work day was just about over Blaine took out his cell phone from his pocket and speed dialed Kurt. His boyfriend answered on the second ring.

"I love you," Blaine stated simply, interrupting Kurt's 'Hi Bl-". Kurt's laugh was light and airy on the other end of the phone.

"I love you too. I take it you got my present?"

"I did indeed, and I love it. Everyone else in the office loves it too, especially the cookies."

"I'm so glad. I really am proud of you Blaine, you're just about finished with your first internship, and you're starting your L2 in a few weeks…" Kurt drifted off, the sound of Kurt shuffling things around in their apartment in the background.

"Thank you," Blaine smiled into the phone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting a head start on packing. I know we're going to do the big stuff tomorrow with Puck and Lauren but I thought I'd pack up all our….unmentionables before Puck had a chance to find them." Blaine blushed slightly and looked nervously out the door to his office even though he was quite sure no one could hear Kurt through the phone. He swallowed thickly before answering his boyfriend.

"That's…that's probably a good idea."

"I certainly thought so. It'd be just like him to find that video of yo –"

"_Kurt_!" Blaine interrupted, his voice coming out harsher than he intended. "Sorry, it's just I'm at work and all…"

"Sorry," Kurt giggled into the phone. "Hurry home."

"Yes dear," joked Blaine. The two exchanged 'I love you' 's and hung up. The flower/cookie bouquet caught Blaine's eye once more and he noticed for the first time that over the foam that encircled the flowers above the water of the basin were plastic wrapped chocolate-chocolate chip cookies that he supposed were meant to look like dirt. Grinning like an eight year old Blaine picked one up and quickly devoured it. He immediately recognized that these cookies were definitely of Kurt's own making rather than simply ordered as a part of the arrangement – somehow Blaine wasn't surprised at all.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for coming over to help pack guys," said Kurt with a smile as he opened the door to let Puck and Lauren inside the next morning.<p>

"Free food: I'm there," stated Puck bluntly, though he offered Kurt a silly grin nevertheless. Puck grabbed a cranberry-orange muffin off the countertop as soon as he entered the kitchen and handed one off to Lauren.

"Yeah guys, thanks," called Blaine from the bedroom where he was folding and packing his and Kurt's pajamas.

"Don't sweat it," Lauren called back cheerfully. The four got to work packing up the contents of Kurt and Blaine's apartment. It was a bit quiet in the apartment as everyone took a different room (Blaine in the bedroom, Lauren in the bathroom, Kurt in the living room and Puck tackling the kitchen) so Kurt turned on his stereo and the four took turns singing along to radio.

Kurt was halfway through belting out _U + Your Hand _by Pink with Lauren joining in during the chorus when a puzzled Puck trotted into the living room.

_Cause I'm not here for your entertainment  
>You don't really wanna mess with me tonight<br>Just stop and take a second  
>I was fine before you walked into my life<br>Cause you know it's over  
>Before it began<br>Keep your drink just give me the money  
>It's just you and your hand tonight<em>

"Why do you guys have a stethoscope?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Without looking up from the stack of magazines Kurt was sorting into throwaway and keep piles Kurt stopped singing.

"What?" Puck dropped the item in question onto the coffee table, Kurt's eyes widening as it clattered into his line of sight.

"Why do you guys have a stethoscope?" Puck repeated.

"Oh! Um…"

"Er – I, um, I considered med school for about a half a second between freshman and sophomore year," Blaine interjected quickly as he stood with a heavy box in his hands in the doorway connecting the bedroom to the living room.

Kurt's head snapped to the right so quickly he almost hurt himself, he watched a blushing Blaine drop the box onto the ground, cross the room and snatch up the stethoscope off of the coffee table. Kurt could hardly hold in his giggles as he mouthed '_liar_' at his boyfriend. Fortunately for Blaine, Puck seemed to accept this excuse without question, simply shrugging his shoulders and heading back into the kitchen.

Glad that for once it wasn't him who had accidentally almost over-shared about his and Blaine's sex life Kurt grabbed the stethoscope from Blaine's hands and whipped it around his shoulders. He shimmied his shoulders suggestively at Blaine, who groaned and whispered "I hate you." Kurt pouted at the other boy in mock hurt and Blaine groaned again, pulling Kurt up by the collar and into a kiss.

"So, uh, Doctor!Kurt is a _thing_ with you two huh?" teased Lauren who suddenly reappeared from the bathroom. Kurt and Blaine both choked on air for a second as Lauren laughed at the pair.

"N-no…" stuttered Blaine, "like I said…I thought about med school for a minute and –"Lauren dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

"That might work with Puckerman, but come on, even if that _were_ true, which it isn't and you are a terrible liar Blaine Anderson, that still doesn't explain why you would still have it _now_, nor why it was in your kitchen."

"I-I, uh – "Blaine stammered again, clearly flustered. Lauren snorted.

"That's nothing compared to what Puck and I –"

"_Lauren!_" Interrupted Kurt. "T.M.I. okay? T.M.I." She rolled her eyes at him before dragging the box she had been working on out of the bathroom.

"Whatever. The bathroom is finished."

"Thank you," answered Kurt and Blaine in unison. Blaine hastily removed the stethoscope from Kurt's neck and shuffled off to the bedroom to be placed where it belonged with his and Kurt's other unmentionables. He shook his head, _I really should have put this back where it belonged last week like Kurt asked me to rather than just throwing it into a drawer_, the thought, _then again I _was _pretty distracted_. His mind briefly flashed to Kurt fucking him on the kitchen table before he gave himself a shake and decided he'd better go 'help' Puck in the kitchen lest he come across anything else that had been forgotten about among their plates and cups.

Over the rest of the morning Kurt and Blaine's belongings found their way into boxes and into the UHaul Puck and Blaine went and picked up around 11 without any other embarrassing finds. Kurt ordered a couple pizzas for lunch and the friends gathered around Lauren and Pucks kitchen table for one last meal together.

"How long will it take to get back to the city?" asked Lauren curiously.

"If traffic isn't a nightmare, which hopefully it won't be as today is Saturday, about four and a half to five hours. We're hoping to get out of here around one so we can get back before it starts getting dark. We're just going to bring up the boxes tonight – Finn and Rachel are coming to help unpack in the morning."

"I take it Quinn and…what's his name….Kevin? Kevin, are out already then?"

"Yes. Quinn found a darling apartment over in Prospect Park for her and Kevin. They moved in last week. I don't even want to fathom the cost, it's got three bedrooms and from the pictures she sent me, it's gotta be really up there."

"Why do they need three bedrooms? Are they going to have kids right away or something?" asked Lauren, glancing tentatively at Puck at the mention of children.

"No, no, Quinn's just got a lot of stuff," assured Kurt. It was true, ninety percent of Quinn and Mercedes apartment had been Quinn's things.

"Speaking of: why do you guys have _so_ much crap?" complained Puck between bites of pizza.

"We don't," argued Kurt, "all our stuff is mise en place." Puck stared at him blankly. Kurt sighed, "it means everything has a place and purpose."

"I packed up three different types of silverware," countered Puck.

"Seven different types of face moisturizer," noted Lauren. Kurt wrinkled his nose at them.

"You two just don't have the vision for subtle differences that I do. All I own are important, essential items."

"Riiiight," answered Puck with an eye roll, "Lauren told me she also packed up an entire box of hair junk."

"Some of us manage more than one hair style in 8 years Noah," hissed Kurt. Puck looked at Blaine who threw up his hands, not wanting to get involved. "That requires a certain amount of products and tools." Kurt glanced pointedly at Blaine as well but Blaine didn't interject to defend Kurt's vast accumulation of all things needed to look fabulous.

"So…" ventured Lauren as she broke through the silence, "Facebook told me Dave and that Liam guy got back together. I thought they just broke up last month…" Grateful for a subject change Blaine responded immediately.

"Yeah. From what Dave told us I guess he and Liam talked and while they agreed they might have rushed into moving in together, and that wasn't working for them, neither of them really wanted to break up either."

"How's that working now then?"

"Good, I think….Dave is still in the apartment he and Liam rented and Liam moved into one a couple blocks away. I guess it's working for them," added Kurt.

"As long as he's happy right?" Blaine mused.

"Yeah." Puck chuckled. Lauren looked at him expectantly.

"Care to share with the class?"

"You know some people said a bunch of stupid shit when Dave started as an openly dude-loving football player? About how it would totally ruin the notion of jocks forever?" The three nodded.

"Well the football player still ended up with the cheerleader didn't he? I guess things didn't change much at all." Puck laughed at his own reasoning, the other three laughing as well.

The four friends finished eating and exchanged hugs goodbye. Kurt felt a little sad, he had a rather large soft spot for the couple and would miss them a lot until they came to visit Lima for Thanksgiving. Blaine returned their keys and filled out a bit of paperwork as Kurt sorted out a few last minute organizational details of their UHaul and waited for Blaine in the driver's seat. After a few minutes Blaine climbed in and fastened his belt.

"I'm really glad Dave and Liam seem to have worked things out. I always liked them together," remarked Kurt, continuing their earlier conversation. "Do you think they'll ever move back in together though?" Blaine thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know, I think it's kind of a wait and see. In the meantime, at least now Liam has a place for all of his important essential items," Blaine remarked teasingly, placing overly necessary emphasis on the last three words.

"Keep it up," Kurt said warningly, though his smile was betraying him, "and it really _will_ be just you and your hand tonight." Blaine pouted at him until Kurt laced the fingers of his non-driving hand through his boyfriends own. "You're lucky I love you."

"I know."

Luck would have it that there was huge multi-car accident on the 295 interstate, delaying Kurt and Blaine from arriving at their apartment until well past ten p.m. Hungry, tired and grumpy the two decided to go ahead and pay to park the UHaul for the evening, grab a few essentials and just go to bed. They'd get Finn and Rachel to help them with the rest in the morning. Kurt was too exhausted to do more than brush his teeth, splash his face with a bit of water and give it a quick swipe with a moisturizing cleansing face wipe before he hit the sheets and joined a snoring Blaine.

* * *

><p>"Good morning," whispered Kurt as he pressed soft kisses to the left side of Blaine's face. Blaine's still asleep for the most part, the sun poking through a gap in their curtains that's hot and uncomfortable on his face. His eyelids go from peacefully closed to wrenched shut due to the light and the heat. "<em>Blaine<em>," breathed Kurt, his breath tickling the side of Blaine's neck.

"Whaat?" Whined Blaine in his half-awake state. That state turned closer towards fully awake as he felt the softness of Kurts' hand find his side and slowly stroke down his ribcage.

"Good morning."

"Mmm, hi." Kurt shifted to be a bit closer and pressed his lips to Blaine's. Blaine kissed back happily, immersing himself in the feel of Kurt's mouth moving against his own, the pleasant pressure of Kurt's weight leaning into him. The kiss broke only when Blaine couldn't suppress his yawn any longer.

"What time is it?"

"Early. I'm sorry to wake you but Finn and Rachel won't be here for a couple more hours so I thought –" Blaine smiled and cut Kurt's nervous speech off with a firm kiss.

"You thought correctly," he reassured.

"Good." Kurt's soft lips found Blaine's mouth again and before long he could feel Blaine's tongue licking lightly along his bottom lip. His lips parted of their own accord and Blaine's tongue slid inside his mouth.

Oh it was _so_ nice to be back in their bed again. Quinn and Kevin had been nice enough to leave the bed made with fresh sheets before they moved into their new place and had happened to use a set of Kurt's favorite – electric blue hued that complimented both his and Blaine's skin tones with a thread count to die over. The thought of sheets was quickly pushed out of his head as Blaine's hands wrapped around him, one stroking his back and the other running along his chest.

"Rmpfh," Kurt groaned approvingly as the tips of Blaine's fingers rolled over one of his nipples, the sensitive area hardening quickly in response to Blaine's expert touch.

"I love you," mumbled Blaine still slightly sleepily. Kurt's response of 'you too' was muffled as his mouth was too occupied sucking the tender skin of Blaine's neck just above his collar bone to speak properly. Blaine moaned at the touch and shifted with Kurt until Kurt was underneath him, his back slightly propped up by their pile of pillows.

"Mmm, Blaine that feels so good," purred Kurt as Blaine's mouth followed the trail of his hand down Kurt's chest, sucking on each of his nipples until Kurt was panting and squirming underneath him.

"Good, cause you taste really good," Blaine said between kisses as he made his way further south. His fingers looped through the elastic of Kurt's boxers as his tongue dipped into Kurt's belly button and Kurt lifted his hips slightly off the bed to allow his boyfriend to pull his underwear down and off. As soon as Kurt was naked Blaine lifted the younger mans legs up and onto his shoulders.

"_Fuck_, Blaine," whined Kurt when Blaine nipped at each of Kurt's hip bones. One of Kurt's hands tangled itself in his boyfriend's soft curls and the other grabbing fistfuls of sheet, his head falling backwards onto the pillow. "_Blaine_, Blaine don't – shit, don't tease me," begged Kurt as Blaine licked and nipped at his inner thighs but neglected the one part of Kurt's anatomy that Kurt desperately needed to be touched. He could _feel_ the smirk forming in Blaine's cheek against his inner thigh, centimeters away from his cock and was just about to snap at him when – "Oh thank fucking god," he whimpered as Blaine's lips finally wrapped around his dick.

Blaine's hands pushed Kurt's legs farther apart as he swirled his tongue back and forth around the head of Kurt's cock. White hot pleasure coursed through Kurt's veins and he tried to keep his hips relatively still while Blaine stroked his balls with one hand, pumped his length with the other and sucked on whatever of Kurt's cock he could fit in his mouth, his tongue sliding down the underside of Kurt's cock.

His legs began to tremble and Blaine sucked harder, humming slightly in the back of his throat. Kurt bit his lip rather roughly to keep from getting too loud; it was a little early to wake their elderly neighbors with the sounds of sex drifting from their apartment. Blaine's thumb rubbed at his balls while his index finger journeyed backwards to stroke at the hypersensitive skin of his perineum. _Fuck, this is the best way to wake up_, thought Kurt fuzzily until –

"_Ohmygod_!" The unmistakable screech of Finn Hudson filled the room. Kurt's eyes and mouth fell open as he hastily shoved Blaine by the shoulders. Blaine, who had been rather…ahem, concentrated, on his task withdrew his mouth from Kurt's cock with a wet pop and looked up in confusion at his boyfriend before following Kurt's line of site over to Finn and Rachel standing stock-still in the doorway to their bedroom. Kurt quickly picked up the blanket that was heaped next to him and threw it over himself and Blaine, blocking Blaine entirely from sight and covering himself up to his shoulders.

"Shit!" groaned Blaine from under the blanket. At that moment Rachel seemed to find her voice.

"My eyes! My beautiful eyes! I am blind! Blind I tell you! If I am blind forever and can't get on Broadway again despite my enormous talent because of it – I am blaming _you_ Blaine Anderson!" Rachel shrieked.

"Rachel, you aren't blind, although that might be preferable," muttered an extremely uncomfortable looking Finn, who also happened to be covering his eyes.

"Finn you don't understand! I am blind and –" Argued a distraught Rachel, her hands still clamped tightly over her eyes.

"Oh for crying out loud: Get Out!" Roared Kurt, effectively cutting Rachel off as he chucked one of their pillows at the couple.

"Oh! Er –"stammered Finn, who appeared to be frozen in place as the pillow hit him square in the chest.

"_Now _would be good, Finn," groaned Blaine from under the covers.

"Right!" Finn grabbed Rachel by the shoulder and steered them out of the room, the door falling shut behind them.

"I thought you said they weren't coming till ten!" hissed Blaine as Kurt pulled the covers off of them and Blaine shuffled out of bed, struggling to pull on a pair of jeans over his own still hard cock. For Kurt, the mood had been effectively killed as soon as he saw his brother staring at him while his boyfriend sucked him off, he grabbed his discarded boxers off the floor and pulled them on, followed quickly by jeans as well.

"That's what time I told them! It's barely seven thirty. I have no idea why the hell they are here now!"

"How did they even get _in_?" Questioned Blaine irritably.

"_Someone_ thought it would be a good idea for Rachel to have a key 'in case of an emergency'" snarled Kurt with air quotes for emphasis.

"Oh….right, sorry," Blaine apologized quickly.

"It's fine, let's just go face the music." With all the dignity that he could muster Kurt pulled a tshirt on over his head and strode out of the bedroom. Rachel and Finn sat awkwardly on the couch with their hands still shielding their eyes.

"It's perfectly safe now June, Ward," huffed Kurt. Finn fanned his fingers apart before taking a tiny peak at his brother. He sighed in relief at fully-dressed Kurt and Blaine, tugging down Rachel's hands with his own.

"Come on Rachel, you are not blind," he said calmly as he tried to coax her into opening her eyes.

"Well I could have been!" she squeaked dramatically after finally opening her eyes again. Kurt threw her a distinctive 'bitch please' glare.

"You just let yourself in! Whatever happened to knocking?" demanded Kurt. Rachel folded her hands over her chest defensively.

"We did knock! You didn't hear us. We thought you were asleep –"

"Or dead," Finn added unhelpfully, looking rather anxious at the notion.

"What on Earth are you two even doing here so early? I clearly remember telling you to come at ten, it's Sunday morning: you shouldn't even be up right now Finn!" Finn's expression cleared slightly as he remembered why he and Rachel had ventured over two and a half hours early.

"Rachel has something she wants to tell you."

"You did _not_ interrupt us for one of your insane schemes did you?" Asked Kurt as he eyeballed the brunette testily.

"No!" Snapped Rachel, "and now maybe I'm not so sure I should tell you at all." Finn eyed her warily.

"Come on Rach, you tell them or I will."

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" Blaine asked, his voice edged with concern.

"Well," began Rachel, who looked as though it truly pained her to share whatever she was about to say, "do you guys remember how I had an audition for that new Broadway show 'From Justin to Kelly'?"

"Yes…" Blaine and Kurt answered slowly, still having trouble believing that _Broadway_ was making a legitimate show from that ridiculous movie.

"Well," Rachel continued, looking thoroughly put out, "In the worst decision making process since Susan Lucci being passed over repeatedly for her Daytime Emmy – I didn't get it." Kurt and Blaine tried their best to look sympathetic. After a moment they managed it, Rachel had been trying to get more work on Broadway for eight months now without any luck – it would be frustrating for anyone.

"That's really too bad Rachel, we're sorry to hear that," Blaine offered kindly.

"Indeed," Rachel agreed with a sniff. She paused for a long moment until Finn placed his hand gently on her arm, prompting her to continue. "I didn't get it, but – being the amazing, wonderful, _selfless_ person that I am…" she paused as if waiting for them to dispute her assertion. "During my audition the director happened to mention that they were also looking for a costume designer, and like the amazing, wonderful, thoughtful, generous, selfless being I am…I showed her the pictures I had stored on my phone of the line you've been working on this summer. She loved them. You need to meet with her tomorrow at four if you want the chance to design the costumes for the show."

"Rachel! Oh my goodness! That's amazing! Thank you!" Squealed Kurt. He rushed over to her and hugged her around the neck. She tensed for a moment before sighing and melting into the embrace.

"You're very welcome, don't get a head of yourself though, it's just a meeting."

"I know, but still! Other than that buyer ordering a few items for my line this summer I really don't have any leads yet for more work and I would _love_ to design costumes for Broadway!"

"That was really great of you Rachel," Blaine said warmly. Finn beamed at his girlfriend after stifling a yawn.

"Totally," he agreed.

"I'm sticking my neck out for you Kurt, so you go in there and knock their socks off," she warned.

"I will," Kurt promised.

"Okay, now that we've covered all the news and the awkward, can we eat or something? I'm starving."

"I'm with Finn. Kurt and I didn't even really eat dinner last night," seconded Blaine.

"There's nothing in the house, Rachel do you want to go with me to the Bakery down the street? You can fill me in about what your plans are next?" Kurt offered. Rachel lit up at the offer to talk about herself and quickly agreed. "Lemme just go do something about my hair and face, we can go in a minute." Kurt trotted off to the bathroom and attempted to smooth out his sleep and sex-mussed hair.

Rachel and Kurt left soon after, leaving Blaine and Finn alone in the apartment.

"I uh, about earlier, I'm sorry we…like we should have knocked harder or something –"stammered Finn, looking sheepish. Blaine's laugh came out a tiny bit forced but he was glad Finn in turned chuckled along with him.

"Next time just text one of us okay?"

"Okay," agreed Finn.

"How's the job search going?"

"It sucks. I managed to get a job doing stock for that little Linen's and Things over in Queens but trying to find a full time career-type job has been crazy difficult."

"That must be difficult with neither you nor Rachel working full time…"

"It is. I really like being here, more than I thought I would, but shit everything is so expensive. I'm lucky I don't have a lot of student loans like Kurt thanks to my football scholarship, but if Rachel's dads weren't helping us I don't think we'd be able to pay rent."

"If my parents weren't helping us Kurt and I wouldn't be able to even dream about making rent for this place either," supplied Blaine.

"Being an adult is hard dude."

"Definitely. You are adjusting okay to being in the city though?"

"It was weird, at first," admitted Finn. "Having Rachel, Mercedes and Tina around made it more familiar, you know?" he laughed, "Though I haven't seen much of Quinn to be honest, which I'm not really shocked about…but I'm getting to know my way around better now and with you and Kurt back I think it'll be okay."

"Kurt was pretty bummed that we were leaving just as you got here."

"I bet D.C. was awesome though…"

"It was, but we're both glad to be home again."

"Cool."

Rachel and Kurt returned a few minutes later with sustenance and the four enjoyed catching up over breakfast before embarking upon the grand un-packing of the Uhaul and reorganization of Kurt and Blaine's apartment. Thankfully Kurt managed to whisk away their box of unmentionables and hide it in the back of their bedroom closet before the always curious Rachel Berry could pry it open and start tossing out the contents onto the living room floor. As the morning hadn't been the first time either couple had walked in on each other the residual awkwardness faded relatively quickly and the four friends had everything put back to Kurt's satisfaction by mid afternoon.

* * *

><p>Kurt spent much of the next day catching up with Mercedes and Tina over facials at Mercedes' apartment regarding any news he might have missed whilst being away for the summer.<p>

"Oh I missed you girls so much," he confessed readily as the two pulled him into a tight hug.

"We missed you too!" they replied in unison.

Now that she was finished with college Tina was struggling about what her next move would be. Detroit was traveling a lot for his modeling gigs, and while Tina was dealing with that just fine – she was torn between finding a full time job in the City that would allow her to be close to Detroit when he was home along with staying in the city she loved, or going back home to Lima to work part-time and focus her concentrations on the book she wanted to write. It was going to be a tough decision either way.

"Boy, I thought for sure you were gonna come back from D.C. engaged," chastised Mercedes lightly once Tina had exhausted her solo debate about what she should do next with her life. Kurt flushed slightly.

"I know. I don't know. I love Blaine. He loves me. We are _going_ to get married…someday. We're going to get engaged eventually – I'm just waiting for the perfect moment. Blaine still has another two years of Law School ahead of him, and as long as we've been together we are only twenty-two and twenty-three…" Kurt reasoned.

"True…" offered Tina thoughtfully.

"I just want it to be perfect." Mercedes took off her cucumber eye covers and gave Kurt a pointed look.

"You keep worrying about perfection and you could be a hundred and eleven before you two get engaged." Kurt laughed.

"I know, I know. I guess I don't mean perfect, I don't know – when the time is right, I'll know." The egg timer buzzed noisily.

"Time to take these masks off," remarked Tina as she disposed of her eye coverings as well. Kurt glanced at the clock.

"It's been a pleasure ladies: but as soon as I wash this off I think I'd better go – I have to be at the Gershwin in an hour." The trio quickly cleaned up, made plans for lunch later that week and Kurt headed out towards the subway, his shoulder bag of mock ups, photographs of his work and fabric samples secured between his feet during the bumpy subway ride.

Rachel had scribbled down the name of the director Kurt was to meet on a napkin before she and Finn left the previous day: Loretta Miles. Kurt told the security guard who his appointment was with and was ushered towards Ms. Miles' office. He knocked cautiously on the door. A woman dressed in black jeans with a black turtleneck on despite the late August heat answered the door with a friendly smile.

"You must be Mr. Hummel," she said in greeting as she let him inside.

"Yes, it's lovely to meet you Ms. Miles."

"Oh call me Lo, I much prefer it."

"Of course, Lo." Lo gestured for Kurt to sit down and took a seat opposite to him.

"So, let's see what you've got kid." Kurt took out everything he had brought with him and allowed Lo to examine everything one piece at a time. "You've got a real talent," she praised, "innovative, different but classic construction."

"Thank you," responded Kurt politely.

"So, I'm looking for someone to design costumes for everyone in the show – we're not using anything from the movie so you can design almost whatever you like as long as it goes with the scene. We'll need everything ready to roll by the middle of November and you'll have four sewing and construction assistants. The pay isn't great, it's kind of terrible actually, but that's what we have to offer." Kurt was caught off guard that she seemed to be offering the job so quickly.

"I'd love to do it Lo," he assured, "but don't you want to see my references or anything?"

"I googled you," Lo reasoned with a shrug of her shoulders, "nice work standing up to that sleaze Zeb Marque."

"T-thank you." Kurt let out a breath; he had been slightly worried leaving Zeb's internship was going to be such a hindrance towards finding future work. "I really learned a lot from my internship but in the end –"

"In the end he turned out to be a miserable git," Lo finished with a nod. "No need to be coy about it Kurt, I dated the guy – I know what an idiot he can be."

"You _dated_ Zeb Marque….but, isn't he –"Gay? Kurt finished the question in his head.

"Oh he is: it was about 100 years ago we dated. Gay or not the guy has always been a dirt bag." She stood up from her chair and Kurt mirrored the action. "I've got to go to a meeting with my set designer. So what's the verdict? If you want the job we'll have you start next week."

"I'll take it!" exclaimed Kurt excitedly. "Thank you so much for the opportunity!" Lo chuckled at him.

"We'll see if you're still this thrilled when you figure out you'd make more money being an usher." Kurt didn't care; this was a starting point and would hopefully lead to greater things. Lo handed him a stack of paperwork to take home and fill out before having him follow her out of the office. Feeling especially warm towards Rachel Kurt made a mental note to sew her something really spectacular in the very near future.

"So…" wondered Blaine aloud after giving Kurt a kiss hello once Kurt arrived back at the apartment. Kurt kept his poker face up for almost a full minute before bouncing up and down on the heels of his feet.

"I got it!"

"That's amazing Kurt."

"It is. I love designing ready to wear and catwalk clothes...but this is my first real chance to do costuming – I'm excited." Kurt's face lost a smidge of its glee as he reached into his bag and pulled out a binder of paper. "There's only one problem…."

"What is it?" asked Blaine worriedly.

"Did you ever see 'From Justin to Kelly?"

"Bits…a long time ago…I think," admitted Blaine. He had only vague recollections of the movie, and what he remembered wasn't exactly Shakespeare.

"Well, the script for this show makes the movie look like it should have won Best Picture."

"Oh my, that bad?" asked Blaine with a wince.

"That bad," agreed Kurt. "I think my dad could have written a more interesting musical."

"Ouch." Kurt nodded.

"Still though, I have a job!"

"Absolutely." Blaine wrapped his arms around the other man and hugged him gently. Kurt returned the squeeze and bent his head slightly in order to kiss his boyfriend. Highly pleased Blaine kissed back with enthusiasm and let one of his hands drift towards Kurt's ass, giving it a firm squeeze. Kurt's tongue stole into Blaine's mouth and they were both a little breathless by the time Kurt finally pulled away.

"Do you – have you got any – should you be doing anything right now?" Blaine asked. Kurt pulled his lip into his mouth and considered the question.

"There's only one thing I can think of that I should be doing right now…" he offered casually. Blaine missed the hint so Kurt leaned in to whisper against his boyfriend's ear. "You," he clarified.

"Good plan," mused Blaine, his voice a little broken as Kurt's fingertips dipped below his belt to un tuck and pull off his shirt.

"Very good plan, one of my best," joked Kurt, leading the way into the bedroom.

"You smell amazing."

"The girls and I did Lemon and Raspberry infused facials before I went to my meeting," explained Kurt as Blaine nuzzled into his cheek, his hands deftly unbuttoning Kurt's suit jacket, shrugging it off his shoulders and onto a nearby chair.

"I like it," Blaine, "it kind of makes me want to eat you though," Blaine cautioned between nips to Kurt's neck.

"If you leave me with a hickey Blaine Anderson I swear to – oh! God," moaned Kurt, his vest fluttering onto the floor while Blaine's tongue did something amazing and thankfully not hickey inducing to the delicate skin of his neck. Kurt, whose own hands had just been limply handing next to him, realized Blaine had his dress shirt half way off and Kurt had allowed Blaine to remain fully clothed – that simply wouldn't do. Kurt's soft hands dove under the fabric of Blaine's t-shirt and caressed the other mans back, running his nails lightly over the muscles of Blaine's back. This earned him a low growl of approval from the other man, Blaine unsealing himself from Kurt's neck long enough for Kurt to wrench his shirt off.

They paused for a moment to get their shoes and socks off before tumbling onto the bed, each with a hand at the others belt buckle.

"The pay is really awful," Kurt mentioned as he unsnapped Blaine's belt buckle and went to work undoing the buttons of his kaki's.

"Mmm?" Blaine mumbled absently, only half able to pay attention with Kurt's hands so near his groin.

"It's barely three hundred dollars a week…" Kurt chewed his lower lip worriedly even as Blaine fumbled to get Kurt's pants undone.

"It's a start," assured Blaine, "we can talk about it more later if you want, but right now? Less talking more yay-job sex, okay?" Kurt giggled.

"Okay." Blaine finally got Kurt's pants open and both wiggled out of them before cuddling back up to one another. The two resumed kissing with Kurt pulling Blaine on top of him with their legs intertwined and his hands grabbing at Blaine's ass through his boxer-briefs. Blaine was hardening rapidly against Kurt's hip and Blaine could feel Kurt's own arousal pressing insistently against his upper thigh.

"Fuck school. Fuck work, we should just do this all the time," groaned Blaine when Kurt rolled his hips up and into Blaine.

"You'd get bored of me eventually…"

"Never," argued Blaine, one hand on Kurt's cheek and the other gripping his bicep.

"I love you."

"Guh, I love you too." They rocked together until they were panting, Kurt's grip on Blaine's ass keeping the other man flush to him. Blaine gasped audibly when Kurt's teeth grazed his earlobe and he bucked harder into Kurt, savoring the friction building between them as they moved as one. It was so, so good but Blaine needed more. He lifted his hips slightly away from Kurt, who whined in protest underneath him but recovered quickly when he felt Blaine tugging his underwear down, hissing slightly as the elastic grazed his straining bulge. Blaine's underwear got lost in the sheets a moment later and Kurt guided Blaine by the hips until he was flat on his belly. Kurt hastily pulled open the nightstand.

"Shit. All our condoms and stuff is still in that box in the closet," he groaned, annoyed. Blaine didn't move, he just looked over at Kurt with puppy-dog eyes through his long lashes and parted his legs a little wider. "Aand…I'm gonna go get them right now," said Kurt with a gulp as he took in the sight of his gorgeous boyfriend spread out and waiting for him. He hopped up and quickly crossed the room, opening the closet and unceremoniously ripping the tape off the cardboard box that contained all their unmentionables. He dug around until he found what he was looking for and quickly rejoined Blaine on the bed.

Blaine looked absolutely wrecked as he waited for Kurt, his eyes closed, mouth slightly open as he panted and absently let his hips go forward in shallow little thrusts into the bed sheets. Kurt eyed him hungrily, removing the condoms wrapper and rolling it onto his length. Blaine heard the familiar click of the lubes cap coming off and pulled himself up a little higher, resting his head and shoulders against their pile of pillows with his hips and ass several inches off the bed. He felt Kurt scoot around behind him and gasped when one of Kurt's lube slicked fingers grazed his entrance. Kurt's free hand eased the other mans cheeks further apart and Kurt spread the lube around, coating the rim nicely.

"_Fuck!_" groaned Blaine as his body shook in pleasure and surprise when the warm wet drag of Kurt's tongue slide over his entrance. They didn't do this very often, despite what a lot of the porn movies professed it was more of a tease then anything, but what a nice tease it was. "Shit, Kurt, Shit," mumbled Blaine, pushing his hips back to meet Kurt's tongue as it licked lazily around his rim.

"I found the flavored lube buried under some stuff," Kurt explained, "now you taste like raspberries too." A low moan echoed in Blaine's throat as Kurt's tongue pushed against his entrance, every nerve ending seemingly honed in on about an inch wide space of his anatomy. Blaines right hand snaked down his side and grasped his cock, giving himself a few rough strokes.

"M-more," Blaine begged. Kurt licked a last stripe against his asshole before blowing on the slick spot, Blaine shivering in response to the temperature contrast. The lube cap popped open once more as Kurt coated his fingers and slicked up his cock. It had taken them ages to find a water based flavored lube that didn't have a horrific aftertaste, but their efforts had been rewarded when they came across this particular brand. Kurt prepped him with his fingers until Blaine was a whimpering mess underneath him, pleading with Kurt to just fuck him already.

"So impatient," Kurt chastised lovingly. After what was a torturously long time for Blaine Kurt lined himself up at Blaine's entrance and eased himself inside, his moan a high breathy sigh as his cock became encapsulated inside of Blaine. The two were silent apart from the sound of heavy breathing and skin sliding against skin as Kurt thrust into Blaine. Blaine rocked his hips backwards as he fisted his cock, urging Kurt's cock to graze against his prostate.

"_There_, again," commanded Blaine as the head of Kurt's cock brushed against the sensitive area. Kurt grabbed Blaine's hips and repeated the action, thrusting with a bit more force. "Yes, oh shit, yes, Kurt oh!" the dark haired boy moaned against the pillowcase. Kurt felt heat pooling inside of him, his orgasm quickly approaching, urged on by Blaine clenching and unclenching the muscle of his inner walls until the pressure on Kurt's cock became almost unbearably good. Not wanting to come too soon before Blaine Kurt batted Blaine's hand away from his cock and replaced it with his still slightly slick one. He pumped along the length and thumbed over the head.

"Kurt, Kurt I'm –"Blaine ground out through clenched teeth as he tried to hold out a little longer.

"Me too, me too," assured Kurt. His hips moved erratically as he snapped back and forth into Blaine. One stroke, two strokes, the third and the feeling of being inside of his lover with Blaine's cock heavy, solid and pulsing slightly in his hand became too much, Kurt came with a shout – the sensation throwing Blaine into climax as well.

"Fuck, Kurt, you should get a new job more often," said Blaine with a laugh as they cuddled together once Kurt had pulled out of him and disposed of the condom. Kurt laughed as well and leaned in to kiss his boyfriend.

"I am _so_ glad to be back in New York," commented Kurt, "I loved being in D.C. and our summer was awesome, but it's like – now that we're back I feel like our lives can really go on to the next step, you know?"

"Yeah. D.C. was a nice break but I'm ready for school to start next week and get on with the next part in our lives." Blaine agreed with a slight yawn.

"I love you Blaine."

"I love you too Kurt. Nap until dinner time?" Blaine suggested, though from the droop of his eyelids he was going to fall asleep no matter what Kurt said.

"Yeah, okay." Within a few moments Blaine's breathing evened out and he was fast asleep. Kurt lay awake for a few minutes, deep in thought before letting post-orgasmic sleepiness claim him as well. _When the moment is right_, _you'll know_, he assured himself just as he drifted off.

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><p><strong>Runs away and hides - that was my very first time ever writing any kind of rimming...I battled with myself for a long time about it, sorry if I squicked anyone without warning.<strong>

**You may all now send me your dentist bills due to the fluffiness of that chapter. Chapter 13 is also going to be really fluff-tastic, as I'm sure you've already guessed. Chapter 13 is also the ½ way point of this fic, as I'm sure you know since I've said it 82781208 times. **

**All reviews are treasured (and I'd really love to *not* see that asshole anon first thing when I click the review page) and squee'd over so if you're inclined, you know what to do. I'm still a big fan of prompts if anyone has any as well.**


	17. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13! Chapter 13! I am so glad we are finally here! Exclamation Point! Remember a bunch of chapters back when I told ya'll to remember a particular date in October? We've**_**finally **_**arrived! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all readers and esp to everyone who takes the time to review.**

**This chapter has a lot of parallels to conversations we've seen on Glee already, as well as chapter 1 of this fic – I did this on purpose. Brownie points if you can spot any.**

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><p><strong>October 4th, 2016<strong>

Life in New York fell into something of a routine once again in September, as school began for Blaine and Kurt's work on costumes for 'From Justin to Kelly' started. Preparations for Quinn's November wedding were entering hyper-drive, Mercedes and Rachel seemed to go on auditions daily for everything from Broadway roles to Kleenex commercials, and Finn finally took Tina up on her offer to help him network for a communications related position with her contact at a sports magazine, resulting in Finn now waiting for a call back from the magazine regarding an interview.

As September waned into October and hints of the coming fall started popping up across the bustling city, everything grew steadily more hectic and stressful for Kurt, Blaine and all of their friends. Being seasoned New Yorkers and growing young adults, the stress levels were far from unmanageable, but on some occasions – like today – tempers ran short, with small differences of opinion spiraling into bickering contests. Such a bickering contest was what led an annoyed Kurt to call his father out of the blue one afternoon the first Tuesday in October.

"Blaine sucks." Burt coughed into the phone.

"Wanna run that by me again, kiddo…?"

"Today. Blaine sucks today. We had a fight," Kurt snipped.

"What happened?"

"I don't really want to talk about it. He just sucks and I'm upset."

"…was it a deal breaker?" Burt asked, sounding fairly certain it wasn't something like Blaine cheating or something, but still feeling the need to get the subject off the list of possibilities.

"No…nothing like that…" Kurt paused. His father waited a long moment for him to elaborate, but after several long seconds he still hadn't spoken again.

"Well Kurt, I don't know how much help I can be if you won't clue me in about what you guys fought about…" Kurt sighed into the phone.

"I don't want any help; I just want you to listen while I tell you he sucks." Burt chuckled.

"I can do that, but I gotta tell you Kurt: everybody sucks sometimes." He paused, waiting for Kurt to interject. When Kurt remained silent he continued. "No one is perfect. Sometimes I suck, sometimes Carole sucks, sometimes even you suck and right now I guess Blaine sucks. You two have been through a lot together though, right? You love each other?"

"More than anything," Kurt admitted.

"Then I'm sure whatever happened that's pissing you off so much right now, you guys will work it out. Being in love isn't about finding someone who never sucks – _everyone_ is going to suck royally sometimes – it's about finding someone who you think sucks the least and who thinks you suck the least. Someone who, even when you're unbelievably frustrated with each other, you'd still go to the wall for the other in a heat beat if needed. If you can find that you're golden."

"Everyone sucks sometimes? Wow dad, you have such a way with words," Kurt quipped sarcastically, but a small smile was beginning to form over his lips at his father's words as the lines of tension eased on his face.

"Watch it kid, I never claimed to be Shakespeare. All I'm saying is you and Blaine are in this for the long haul right? You guys are connected to each other, like me and your mom were, or like me and Carole are now?"

"Yeah, yeah dad we are," Kurt laughed with a slight cringe. "It was such a stupid little petty fight really. I don't know why I had to call and tell you about it."

"Not that you _did_ tell me about it," corrected Burt, "but I'm glad you called. You can always talk to me about this stuff, Kurt."

"I love you, dad. I've gotta go talk to Blaine. Thank you."

"I love you too, Kurt. We'll see you next month for Thanksgiving." Kurt hung up the phone, his heart feeling immensely lighter than it had before he dialed his father. In fact, he felt totally at peace with the world. Butterflies filled his stomach as he opened a top cabinet in the tiny kitchenette and pulled out several cooking books before finding the item he was in search of and placing it in the pocket of his sweater.

Blaine sat in the living room on the couch, flipping mindlessly through one of his bar prep review books with his iPod blasting Maroon 5 in his ear. So what if he still had almost two years before he took the bar? It was never too early to start studying, right? Kurt was pissed, and Blaine was a little annoyed himself, though he could admit the fight had been mostly his fault. He was also angry at himself for letting a tiny disagreement about the mail, of all things, end up in a near-shouting match across the apartment.

Kurt had disappeared off into the kitchenette about five minutes before with a scathing "do _not _follow me Blaine!"

So Blaine sat, and waited, feeling quite dejected. If Kurt had had a hell of a year last year with school, well, Blaine was definitely feeling the pain of law school now as his second year progressed. The work had increased tenfold, at least, and there were so many obligations and events that you just _had_ to go to if you had any hope of networking so you could get a job after school. The stress had led him to snipe at Kurt over nothing on more than one occasion. As soon as Kurt came back into the room, he was going to man up and say he was sorry, and hopefully they could put this behind them and enjoy the rest of their evening just spending quality time together at home.

After a few more minutes, Blaine looked up from where he had been resolutely staring at a particular spot on the arm of the couch and Kurt had suddenly reappeared in the doorway separating the kitchenette from the living room, watching Blaine with a small playful smile.

"I'm sorry Kurt, I didn't mean to –" Blaine began, but Kurt put up his hand to stop him.

"I'm sorry too B. I think that was the silliest argument we have ever had."

"Yeah." Blaine raked his fingers through his thick hair. _What was going on_? When Kurt was upset with him he was never mollified so easily.

Kurt crossed the room and placed his hand behind the base of Blaine's neck, leaning forward to kiss his boyfriend – a long, slow, lazy kiss that Blaine melted into as it went on.

"I love you Blaine."

"I love you too, Kurt, really I'm sorry that I got so –" Kurt shushed him with another kiss before pulling away and grabbing the slightly shorter man's hand with his own.

"Come with me," Kurt requested mysteriously. Blaine wasn't about to risk another argument so he let Kurt pull him up and hastily followed Kurt's lead, grabbing a light jacket as Kurt directed him through the door and into the elevator. Kurt pressed the down button before stealing away back into the apartment for a second and returning just as the elevator light clicked on, announcing its arrival to the 9th floor.

"Where are we going?"

"Just be patient honeybee."

"You're not taking me somewhere to kill me are you?" Blaine asked, trying to sound joking, but with a little nervousness slipping into his voice.

"Not this time," Kurt assured him airily, pulling him by the hand and out of their apartment building.

"What; you'd rather do that at the apartment?"

"And deal with all that mess near my precious things? I think not!" declared Kurt between giggles. "Just trust me okay?"

"Of course." Blaine figured out quickly enough that Kurt was taking him to Central Park, a mutually loved location, but one they had neglected to visit since returning from D.C. for the new semester. By the time that they passed Belvedere Castle he had put it together that they were headed for Blaine's favorite spot in the park – the Shakespeare Garden.

It was approaching twilight now and a light breeze cooled the early October air, the leaves on the many trees just starting to subtly change, though many hung on stubbornly to patches of green. Blaine _loved _the Shakespeare Garden: it was peaceful, relatively crowd-free most of the time, and simply gorgeous, with carefully crafted wooden benches and plaques with quotes from various Shakespearean works dotting the garden between row after row of flowers and bushes.

Kurt stopped in front of a bench and sat down, patting the spot next to him. Blaine happily took the proffered seat and leaned in as Kurt put an arm around him.

"Do you remember the first time you took me here?" Kurt asked with a slight dreamy quality to his voice. Of course Blaine remembered, it had been…

"… The day after you moved in to your dorm at FIT. I dragged you out of bed and took you to get muffins and have breakfast here."

"Mm-hmm," confirmed Kurt with a sigh as he slowly stroke Blaine's hair. "And I, of course, argued that I was tired from moving and that I didn't come all the way to New York to see more _greenery_ after living in small town _Ohio_ all of my life…" He paused to press a warm kiss to Blaine's temple.

"But you told me to trust you, so we went, and you were right: this place is one of the most beautiful and serene I've ever seen. What made it really special though, Blaine, was that I was with here with you, just as we were about to begin our new lives as a couple here in New York. It was the first step in building a life together." Blaine felt like he should say something, add to the lovely things Kurt was saying to him, but it was just so warm and nice and soft and perfect curled up in to Kurt; he opened his mouth to try anyway but Kurt chose that moment to continue.

"I'm going to sing now, okay?" It really wasn't a question.

"Of course." Blaine nodded. Kurt stood up and moved a few feet away from his boyfriend. A small, gentle smile painted Kurt's features as he took a breath and began to sing softly into the night, the park calm and quiet apart from the soft chirp of a few grasshoppers calling out to each other.

_I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy  
>I'll be your hope, I'll be your love be everything that you need<br>I love you more with every breath truly madly deeply do…  
>I will be strong I will be faithful 'cause I'm counting on a new beginning<br>A reason for living. A deeper meaning. Yeah…_

_I wanna stand with you on a mountain,  
>I wanna bathe with you in the sea.<br>I wanna lay like this forever,  
>Until the sky falls down over me…<em>

_And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,  
>I'll make a wish send it to heaven then make you want to cry…<br>The tears of joy for all the pleasure and certainty,  
>That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of…<br>The highest powers. In lonely hours. The tears devour you…_

Blaine could watch Kurt sing forever. It was truly a gift – emotion rippled from him with every note. It didn't matter what Kurt sang – he could sing the alphabet and Blaine would find it beautiful – but this song; these words … Blaine's heart thumped loudly against his chest as Kurt continued singing, his eyes locked on Blaine.

_I wanna stand with you on a mountain.  
>I wanna bathe with you in the sea.<br>I wanna lay like this forever,  
>Until the sky falls down on me…<em>

_Oh can you see it baby?  
>You don't have to close your eyes 'cause it's standing right before you.<br>All that you need will surely come…_

_I'll be your dream I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy.  
>I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need.<br>I'll love you more with every breath truly madly deeply do…_

_I wanna stand with you on a mountain,  
>I wanna bathe with you in the sea.<br>I wanna lay like this_forever_,  
>Until the sky falls down on me…<em>

Blaine was instantly and forcefully reminded of the first time Kurt had ever sung directly to him – just before he left for college Kurt had sung _I Knew I Loved You_, also by Savage Garden, to him, during a few stolen hours alone in Blaine's bedroom. It had been a perfect moment, but right now, this moment, was certainly giving it a run for its money.

They were both blinking back the makings of tears as Kurt finished. After walking back the few steps to Blaine's seated position on the bench Kurt took Blaine by the hands and stood him up, their hands tangled together between them.

"I knew I wanted to spend my life with you even before there was an 'us' Blaine, but that first time here in Central Park – how excited you were to share this place; our place, New York City, with me…I fell in love with you all over again that day, and I have a hundred times since…" he drifted off again, delicately easing Blaine off from his position curled into Kurt's shoulder blade. Blaine turned his head in confusion and caught the slight nervous smile on his lover's lips, just as Kurt shifted and was suddenly kneeling on the ground before him.

"Today I fell in love with you all over again – just watching you mope on our couch after our silly argument. I love you Blaine, I always have and I always will. _God, how I love you_. I love you, and I want to be one with you in every sense of the word, if you'll have me." Kurt paused once more to take a small velvet box out of his pocket, at which Blaine's eyes widened and he gasped audibly.

"Kurt –" Blaine started, but quickly shut his mouth as Kurt opened his to speak again.

"Blaine, you are the Alexander to my McQueen, the drama to my high school glee club, and the answer, _my_ answer, my everything…" he opened the box, "and I have a question for you:"

"Blaine Anderson, will you marry me?"

Blaine's mouth opened but no words came out. His heart was pounding so loudly in he barely heard Kurt and would have sworn he must be mistaken were it not for the glittering silver ring sparkling up at him from the small box. He blinked three times in a row, his throat suddenly very dry. Just when Kurt was starting to panic, his knees already stinging from their awkward angle against the ground Blaine regained use of speech.

"Yes," Blaine nodded feverishly, looking thoroughly flustered but in obvious awe of the man smiling up at him. "Yes, of course I will." Kurt squealed in delight, gently tugged the ring out of its box and pulled Blaine's hand toward him, slipping the ring onto his left hand. A moment later Blaine's knees gave out and if it weren't for Kurt to steady him he would have face-planted on the hard ground. Kurt, naturally, _was_ there to steady him – and he always would be.

"Oh thank goodness," breathed Kurt before leaning in to kiss Blaine soundly. Blaine cupped the sides of Kurt's face with his hands, holding on for dear life as their lips moved together seamlessly, a thousand unspoken words passing between them. They were both breathless and panting when they finally pulled away. Kurt wiped the sides of his eyes with the back of his hand before reaching into his pocket once more and removing a second velvet box. He handed it to Blaine who took it with unsteady hands.

"What's this?"

"It's _my_ ring silly. What? Did you think you're the only one who gets to wear an engagement ring in this relationship?" Blaine laughed lightly - _of course_ – and opened the box, holding the ring out to Kurt for a moment before taking it out and sliding it onto Kurt's hand.

"Perfect," he whispered, leaning down to kiss Kurt's ring clad finger.

"Can we get off the ground now? I'm ruining these pants…"

"Yeah, come on." The two lovers stood back up on shaky legs, each grinning stupidly at the other. Kurt pulled Blaine into another searing kiss.

_Live in my house,  
>I'll be your shelter,<br>Just pay me back  
>WIth one thousand kisses<br>Be my lover  
>and I'll cover you<em>

Blaine recognized the song instantly and allowed Kurt to pull him through the park by the hand, following Kurt's lead with Collins' section, adjusting the key slightly to better fit his own voice.

_Open your door,  
>I'll be your tenant<br>Don't got much baggage to lay at your feet  
>But sweet kisses I've got to spare<br>I'll be there and I'll cover you_

As the soundtrack to both the original Broadway and the movie were a fixture in their house each knew the song by heart and continued on in the same vein as the original.

_I think they meant it when they said you can't buy love  
>Now I know you can rent it<br>A new lease you are my love, on life  
>Be my life<em>

_Just slip me on,  
>I'll be your blanket<em>

_Wherever, whatever, I'll be your coat_

_You'll be my King, and I'll be your castle_

_No, you'll be my Queen, and I'll be your moat_

_I think they meant it when they said you can't buy love  
>Now I know you can rent it<br>A new lease you are my love, on life  
>All my life<em>

_I've longed to discover  
>Something as true as this is<em>

_So with a thousand sweet kisses ,I'll cover you,  
>With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you,<br>When you're worn out and  
>tired, When your heart has expired<em>

_If you're cold and you're lonely  
>You've got one nickel only<br>With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you,  
>With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you<em>

_Oh, lover,  
>I'll cover you,<br>Yeah,  
>Oh, lover,<br>I'll cover you_

As they finished singing the two fell into step next to each other, each feeling considerably giddy with Kurt's hand around Blaine's shoulders and Blaine's arm looped tightly around Kurt's waist_._With nightfall well upon them now and only the ever present glow of the city to guide them the atmosphere seemed completely surreal – a dream neither wanted to ever awaken from. After a long few minutes of comfortable silence Blaine spoke up.

"Not that I don't love that song, but isn't it about new love?" Kurt shrugged his shoulders offhandedly.

"Still feels new. Being in love with you, I mean. Even after all this time." Blaine's breath caught in his throat at his boyfriend's – no his _fiancé's_– simple admission. "I think it always will."

"You're amazing," Blaine whispered adoringly as they passed the threshold to the entrance to their apartment. "These rings are gorgeous."

"Well, my taste is impeccable." There was no questioning that.

"Where were you hiding them?"

"In the kitchen, in a Ziplock bag taped inside of another Ziplock bag in a box labeled 'Recipes' behind those cookbooks Carole gave me when we moved in together." Blaine nodded; he would have never accidently found anything back there, though his cooking was improving considerably if you asked him.

"And you bought them…?"

"I ordered them online the night your grandparents came over this summer, after you fell asleep."

"And, God, I hate to ask, please don't be mad, but how are we affording them?" Blaine asked hesitantly. Kurt paused, giving Blaine a steady look.

"Honestly?" Blaine raised an eyebrow at the other man. A slight flush appeared high in Kurt's cheekbones.

"I, um, I opened a savings account a week after we first told each other we loved each other and I've been adding to it ever since. The Friday before the dinner party with your grandparents I got one of the quarterly dividends from investing in Artie and Sam's company and finally had enough to complete the order form…" Kurt finished sheepishly. Blaine groaned low in his throat and pulled the other man towards him, pressing their lips firmly together as the elevator sped upwards toward their apartment.

Kurt reciprocated with gusto, shoving his hands into Blaine's back pockets and giving his ass an appreciative squeeze. The small gaps of air between them seemed to offend Blaine greatly, as he pressed more and more insistently against Kurt, pushing him backwards against the cold metal of the elevator wall, his hands fighting with the octagonal buttons of Kurt's fall jacket as the elevator dinged their arrival at the ninth floor.

With only just enough presence of mind to realize they needed to get out of the elevator before they found themselves half naked and back in the lobby of their building, Kurt tightened his grip on Blaine's ass and shuffled them out of the elevator and across the hall to their apartment, before losing himself completely in the pleasure of his lover's touch. The warm, soft mouth of his fiancé left his and began trailing down his jaw and over his neck. He could feel the sharp poke of the door handle to their apartment digging uncomfortably into his ass but couldn't bring himself to care.

Blaine opened his eyes for the first time in several minutes and was completely surprised to find himself in front of the door to their apartment, Kurt still holding onto him and whimpering softly while Blaine licked and sucked at a particularly sensitive spot on his neck. The elegant fingers of his lover curled into his ass, and Kurt rolled his hips forward, Blaine biting back a curse as he eased his mouth away from Kurt's neck.

"Rmphf," whined Kurt in protest with closed eyes and flushed cheeks. "Why'd you stop?"

"If I don't stop right now, I'm going to end up fucking you against our front door in the hallway of our apartment, and all our condoms and stuff are inside," Blaine reasoned gently, his tone and words completely contradictory to the harsh sound of his own breathing.

Kurt's hands released their death grip on Blaine's ass and he spun around, his hand already digging in his pocket for his keys. With a stern glare at the door that dared to get in their way, Kurt jammed his key into the lock and with a click popped the door open, the two young men crashing back into one another and stumbling through the doorway. Two pairs of shoes were kicked off in a flurry of movement, followed quickly by jackets, sweaters and belts. With a startling level of disregard for either his or Blaine's clothes, Kurt shucked off his tie and button down in one fluid movement before wrenching open the button to Blaine's fly as he pulled the other man towards the doorway to the kitchenette. Blaine allowed himself to be directed but piped up in question.

"But, the bedroom…?"

"Too far," grunted Kurt as the button finally flew open along with the zipper to Blaine's pants. Blaine slipped off his undershirt and stepped out of his pants, Kurt mirroring the action with eyes locked on his hazel-eyed lover. With both men now in just their underwear, the two resumed kissing, a mess of teeth and tongues colliding against each other as Kurt felt himself once again pressed up against a hard object (this time their refrigerator) while Blaine's hands groped at every available inch of his flesh.

With adrenaline rushing through his veins, Blaine felt like he could run ten marathons at once as he stared at Kurt once the two came up for air, each breathing hard. Kurt was already half hard, and Blaine was as well; his arousal growing steadily since the elevator doors had closed in the lobby. Well half-hard just wouldn't do. With flushed lips, Blaine peppered kisses along Kurt's neck; to his collarbone; down the middle of Kurt's chest, with his hands high above him searching for purchase in Kurt's hair before he sunk lower down Kurt's abdomen and his fingers followed the path of his mouth, lightly scratching at Kurt's chest while he tongued at Kurt's belly button.

"Ungh, Blaine," groaned Kurt, rolling his hips forward and up against Blaine's chest, hands fumbling to grip the divots where the door to the fridge and the fridge itself came together. Suddenly the temperature in their apartment was sizzling, and Kurt's brain felt hazy in the best way possible because Blaine's thumbs were pressing into the pulse points directly above his hipbones, his face nuzzling against Kurt's now fully-hard cock through the olive green boxers Kurt was wearing today. 'Was' being the operative word. And, _hey, that worked,_ thought Kurt vaguely as Blaine's fingertips drew downward and into the elastic of his boxers, tugging them down and onto the floor.

Kurt could barely keep his eyes from fluttering closed as he felt Blaine's hand wrap around him, no time for teasing, as the other held his hip – but he managed to restrain himself long enough to glance down at the other man and catch a glitter of silver shining from Blaine's left hand confirming that yes, this was all real and actually happening.

"God, I fucking _love_ you," growled Blaine, his voice low, gravely and deadly serious.

"I – oh! _Oh_, I love you t-too," breathed Kurt as Blaine's tongue darted out between his lips and slid across the head of his cock. The coolness of the fridge provided a stark contrast to the fire Kurt felt spreading across his skin. One of his hands loosened its grip on the fridge and found its way into his boyfriend's hair, just in time for Blaine to begin worshipping Kurt's shaft with wet, sloppy kisses, dragging his tongue along the underside of his cock and over his balls. Kurt's fingers twisted themselves in his fiancé's thick curls, causing a whimper of pleasure to erupt from the other man when he pulled gently.

With Blaine's tongue finally finished with its exploratory journey around Kurt's balls and the base of his cock, Blaine's mouth wrapped around Kurt's shaft, pulling as much of Kurt into the hot, tight cavern of his mouth as he could manage, his hand stroking at whatever didn't fit. Kurt's legs trembled around Blaine's head and Blaine sucked eagerly, loving every single broken moan that spilled from the other man's lips. Watching Kurt fall apart like this under his ministrations was always almost enough to get Blaine off himself, and in this moment that effect was only amplified.

"Blaine, _Blaine_, Blaine…" babbled Kurt incoherently, tugging harder on Blaine's hair. Blaine's eyes flitted upwards and his eyes locked with the lust-blown blue-green of Kurt's. "I want, rmpfh – _God_, please I just – _fuck me_." In response Blaine sucked a little harder for a few seconds, before easing off of Kurt's cock and pressing a final kiss to his hip.

"Turn around and stick your ass out for me then," instructed Blaine, his breath warm against the soft skin of Kurt's hip, the heat fading away as he stood up. With a low groan Kurt obliged, spinning on the spot until the side of his face was pressed up against the door of the refrigerator, his arms dangling uselessly at his sides.

It didn't matter that they had done this a thousand times previously: the word '_forever'_ flashed in Blaine's mind like the bat signal, and he bit down harshly on his lip as he took in the sight of Kurt, rocking slightly on the balls of his feet with his legs spread invitingly. He jerked open the second drawer down next to their efficiency-sized dish washer. After a few seconds of searching he wrapped his fingers around a bright blue condom and their spare bottle of lube. As he stood up, he pushed his own boxers off his hips and kicked them away. He ripped the wrapper of the condom, unrolled it onto himself and wasted no time in slicking his hand and his shaft with lube.

With one steadying hand pressed into Kurt's hip, Blaine slid his middle finger down the cleft of Kurt's ass, finally coming to a stop at Kurt's hole. Kurt shivered at the sensation and pushed his hips out a little more, urging Blaine forward. His finger pressed inside of Kurt, sliding past the tight ring of muscles and gliding forward until his finger curled and Kurt wailed in pleasure as he found his mark.

"More," Kurt begged, raising his hand to push his sweat-dampened hair out of his eyes. Blaine thrust his finger back inside of Kurt, before withdrawing it and replacing the digit with two. He scissored his fingers in and out of Kurt, stretching him before adding a third. The muscles of Kurt's legs twitched and Kurt rocked his hips back and forth, fucking himself on Blaine's fingers. "Need – ungh, need _you_," Kurt gasped out with a whimper. Blaine nodded to himself before realizing Kurt couldn't see him.

"I love you, I love you, I _love_ you," he murmured over and over again against the salty skin of the back of Kurt's neck. Kurt turned again to face his lover and let Blaine cradle his ass with his strong hands and lift him up and letting Kurt's legs wrap tightly around Blaine's back. Blaine carried Kurt, who was panting into the space between Blaine's neck and shoulder blade, the foot or so over to their thankfully cleared off tiny rectangular breakfast nook before leaning forward until Kurt settled down on his back against the hard wooden surface. Kurt kept his hips raised a few inches off the nook as Blaine held his thighs tightly and lined himself up before snapping his hips forward and pressing inside, filling Kurt to completion.

With his ankles locked around Blaine's lower back, Kurt's back arched off the table with each thrust of Blaine's hips. This was a little rougher than their typical sexual escapades but right now both of them wanted – _needed_ – this; to be as close to each other as humanly possible: a tactile seal of their bond. One of Blaine's hands flung forward and caught Kurt's cock as it bumped roughly against his lower abdomen. His fingers curled around Kurt's erection and pumped his length in quick jerks.

"_Fuck_, Kurt," groaned Blaine, leaning forward and capturing Kurt's mouth in a rough kiss. Kurt wrapped his tongue around Blaine's and pulled it into his mouth, lapping at it with vigor. The change in angle slowed Blaine's thrusts a tad but kept his cock pressed firmly against Kurt's prostate. A few more jerks of Blaine's hand to his cock and Kurt could feel everything in him tighten as his climax approached. He threw his arms around Blaine's neck just as the kiss broke and Blaine pushed himself into a standing position, bringing Kurt up with him, Kurt's knees locking against Blaine's thighs so he could lift himself up slightly before pushing down hard against Blaine's cock. Blaine stumbled around the tiny room while Kurt rode him, sure he wouldn't last much longer.

"Kurt – fuck, I can't…"

"Come with me, Blaine," Kurt encouraged and before his name finished on Kurt's lips Blaine was propelled into orgasm, the pulse of his cock pushing Kurt over the edge as well. The two came with each other's names whispered reverently against their lips and Kurt pushed himself up and off of Blaine's cock but kept his hold onto Blaine, breathing hard and clinging to the other man.

The muscles of Blaine's body screamed in protest as he came down from his high, and he gently placed Kurt back on the counter before his muscles gave out entirely and he dropped the other man. Kurt sighed in contentment, grinning widely.

"We're engaged!" Blaine exclaimed, the wonder and awe in his voice palpable. Giggling, Kurt nodded and Blaine leaned forward, pressing his lips to Kurt's with a renewed tenderness after the frantic pace of their love-making. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"We do make quite the pair," mused Kurt. With a slight wince Kurt hopped off the countertop. His eyes took in the sight of their now wrecked kitchenette – clothes thrown hodgepodge all over the room and lube fingerprints everywhere. Feeling more like giddy teenagers than they had in ages, they quickly gathered up their clothes and Kurt gave the small area a quick wipe down.

"We have to call my parents!" Kurt squealed suddenly as soon as they returned to their bedroom and pulled on new clothes. He dashed into the living room before returning with cell phone in hand.

Burt answered on the second ring.

"So, you two pick a date yet?" he asked smoothly, cutting off Kurt's half formed exclamation of: "Da-!"

"How did you know?" demanded Kurt, grinning widely into the receiver. Burt chuckled and Kurt could _hear_ the slight smirk in his voice.

"You are your mother. Your mom proposed to me after we had an argument about…socks, I think," Burt recalled fondly.

"Wait…mom proposed to you?" Kurt asked incredulously. He had never heard that story before.

"She did. In the middle of my first shop with a little lug nut she swiped from a pile of parts. When we told everyone we were getting married they all just assumed I was the one to pop the question – it was a different time, you know? But, really, she was the one. I bought her a ring the next day, but she asked first." Kurt and Burt burst out laughing at the same time.

"In answer to your question we haven't picked out a date yet. Or talked about anything really. We've been, er, busy."

"Save me the details. Congratulations, Kurt – I know this has been a long time coming. Oh, hold on: I'm gonna put the phone on speaker before Carole knocks me in the head with a frying pan so she can talk too." There was a brief pause before a loud, slightly shrill squeal.

"KURT! Oh my God. _Honey_. Finally!"

"Carole – Mom – calm down! I'm glad you guys are happy for us. It means a lot to me."

"To us," seconded Blaine.

"Blaine! Now you're officially going to be part of the family!" shrieked Carole.

"I know," answered Blaine proudly, resting his head against Kurt's shoulder blade.

"Of course we're happy for you Kurt. You two have been together for what, five years?"

"Six in March," answered the two men in unison.

"Yeah, a long time. Now if you had come at me when you were 18 and said you guys were going to get married that would have been a different story – but you're adults now. I trust you to know what's right for yourselves."

"Thank you, Dad. I love you."

"Ahh! We love you both _so much_," Carole practically shouted into the phone, unable to contain her excitement.

"Alright, everybody loves each other," summated Burt with a chuckle. "You know, Kurt was an only child for 16 years when he got started with Glee and all that – who knew I'd end up with _three_ sons out of the deal?" Blaine swallowed the growing lump in his throat as he stared at the phone in Kurt's hand.

"Burt, I …" Blaine began, but his mouth couldn't seem to form the right words. "Thank you," he settled on after a long moment.

"Have you guys talked to your parents yet, Blaine dear?" Carole asked, clearly trying to sound cheerful but with a shade of concern coloring her tone. Blaine frowned and Kurt held onto him a little tighter.

"They're next. I'm sure they won't be thrilled like you guys, but this can't really come as a surprise to them either…"

"I'm sure they want you to be happy," offered Carole diplomatically.

"Either way, I'm thrilled. The rings Kurt got for us are gorgeous."

"Pictures!" demanded Carole. "As soon as you get off the phone I expect a photo-text with pictures of the rings!"

"Of course," promised Kurt.

The four chatted away for several more moments, exchanging excited hopes and thoughts for Kurt and Blaine's future wedding. With promises to keep them informed about any and all emerging details, and to send Carole the aforementioned pictures of their engagement rings, Kurt ended the call. There was a long list of other people he needed to call before Carole or Burt blabbed to anyone – Finn, Rachel, Mercedes, Gil, Tina, Quinn… and the list went on – but first Blaine needed to call his own parents.

"Kurt – maybe I should just call them, alone, you know?" Kurt raised an eyebrow at the other man.

"Blaine, if that would make you more comfortable I understand…" Blaine sighed and ran a hand through his already wild hair.

"No. Never mind. We talked to your parents together, we'll talk to mine together as well…and if my parents say anything _too_ obnoxious, just remember that you proposed to _me_, okay? You signed up for them." Blaine said it in a falsely jocular tone, but neither of them could find the humor in it. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket. _Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

_You have reached_Perla Anderson_. I am currently unavailable. Please leave your name and a brief message and I will return your call at my earliest convenience._

He hung up and tried his father. _Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring._

_You have reached the voicemail box of _Gerald Anderson_. I am otherwise engaged. Please leave your name, phone number and a brief message and I will return your call at my earliest availability. Thank you._

Sighing, Blaine glanced at the clock on the microwave which read 6:25pm. Where were they? He tried his mother again. Still no answer. _Ok, what do I do now?_ Blaine asked himself. Kurt threw up his hands – this was Blaine's decision to make.

"Hi mom, it's me. Call me back when you get this okay? I have something really important to tell you. Everything's fine, no one is dead or anything, it's actually – it's really great: wonderful, actually. Just, call me back. I love you."

One last try to his dad. Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Blaine? What's the matter? I'm in the middle of something," scolded the disinterested voice of Gerald Anderson.

"Dad, dad… everything's fine," said Blaine softly. His father interrupted immediately.

"Blaine I'm really busy right now and I can't –"

"Kurt asked me to marry him," Blaine blurted out.

"I – he…what?"

"Kurt proposed."

"_Kurt_, proposed?" His father questioned, sounding flustered. "But…you – I mean you're the…" Blaine rolled his eyes.

"Dad we're _both_ guys. I know you're busy, but I thought I should call to let you know I'm getting married. I tried calling mom but she didn't pick up."

"She's at book club," his father said slowly. Blaine waited for him to continue…to say…something, but he didn't.

"So…what do you think, Dad?" Gerald seemed caught off guard by the question.

"I, well, you're an adult now…so you have to make your own choices…and such," his father answered, his tone formal and closed off. Well, that was more positive than Blaine had been expecting.

"Dad I am _so_ happy," gushed Blaine, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"Mr. Anderson," Kurt piped up. He paused, unsure of what he wanted to say.

"Oh! Kurt, er – hello," Gerald said, sounding surprised to find Kurt on the phone as well. Before Kurt could decide what to say next Gerald seemed to clam up. "Blaine, son, um, I really have to go but we can talk about this more after your, yeah, after your mother gets back, okay?"

"Oh, um, okay dad. Yeah, later. I love you."

"I – I love you too. Goodbye Blaine….and, and you too, Kurt." The phone clicked as the line disconnected, just as Kurt's goodbye was forming on his lips.

"Well," began Blaine, running a hand through his hair, "that went better than it could have…"

"Yeah, it did. It's going to be great Blaine, I just know it," assured Kurt who was still feeling a little post-orgasmically optimistic.

"Well, either way, I have you. You and I are going to be a family, officially, and that's what counts."

"It sure does," agreed Kurt sweetly as he leaned forward to plant a soft kiss to the tip of Blaine's nose.

The next full hour was spent listening to the collective squeals of their friends as Kurt and Blaine called their respective laundry list of friends and family to share the news. Finn, in whom Kurt had solely confided his engagement ring buying – as it turned out he could keep a secret better than Rachel or Mercedes – whooped out a "_finally_!" as soon as Kurt told him he'd asked Blaine to marry him. Rachel was fairly annoyed that Finn knew about the engagement rings before she did, but recovered quickly enough in her joy that the two boys were now engaged. Mercedes was waiting to be called in for an audition for a guest spot on a crime drama when she answered Kurt's call and Kurt could practically feel her infectious smile though the phone.

Kevin was with Quinn when Blaine called him and they each offered their congratulations once Quinn was assured that Kurt and Blaine had no intentions of getting married before or around her own wedding day. The list continued: Gil, Puck and Lauren (with thanks to Puck for helping Kurt and Blaine find each other in the first place), Tina and Detroit, Sam and Artie (with thanks to them for their crazy video game idea that had yielded such lucrative results for all their friends), Liam and Dave, Santana in Boston, Brittany and Mike who were currently on tour with Lady Gaga in Milwaukee, Thad and Hanna, Wes, David and Angela…the list was non-exhaustive, and both were thoroughly talked out by the time they finally hung up their phones.

Not needing any further words at the moment the two simply stared at each other for several minutes. After another fit of giggles and staring dopily at each other, unable to wipe the grins of their faces – and not wanting to either – the two fell into a tight embrace.

"I'm so glad you said yes," confessed Kurt.

"Did you really have any doubts?" smirked Blaine.

"No, but you never know…"

"I love you so much."

"I love you too." Kurt's stomach grumbled of its own accord, and his eyes flitted to the clock on the wall of their living room, shocking him when he realized it was half past ten. Where had the time gone?

"I'm starving too. I do _not_ want to leave this apartment though: shall we order from that Thai place we like down on 7th?" Kurt nodded his agreement, reaching his hands above his head as he peeled off his t-shirt. Blaine looked at him wide-eyed.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his thumb paused on its way to speed dialing the restaurant.

"Go ahead and order," commanded Kurt. "But you know it'll be at least an hour before it gets here …" he trailed off mischievously. Blaine's eyes lit up at the notion, and he kept his gaze focused on Kurt's rapidly progressing strip tease as he continued the call.

With a quick break to eat once their take-out arrived, Kurt and Blaine made love twice more that evening, the final time a much softer, slower pace than the first two; the urgency now less intense but the passion just as strong. It seemed as though everything had been leading directly up to this moment, and in everything they had been through together and everything they had yet to face, they knew there would be one, endlessly comforting, constant: each other.

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><p><strong>Well, there you have it. I know I've been keeping ya'll waiting for an engagement nearly as long as RIB kept us waiting for the Kliss, so I hope that it lived up to whatever expectations you had as I'm sure<strong>_**none**_**of you were surprised that this happened just like this.**

**Songs in this chapter are:**_**Truly, Madly, Deeply**_**by Savage Garden and**_**I'll Cover You**_**from the musical Rent.**

**I'm so thrilled we've made it half way. A few chapters ago I went through some serious confusion about whether or not I wanted to continue this fic as reviews got a little quiet and I thought people had lost interest, but I'm really glad I didn't. I love all my readers, so – so much. **_**Thank you especially to every single person who reviews. **_**The last few months of my life have been really difficult for me but writing this and interacting with you guys has definitely been a much needed bright spot. Thank you. Thank you.**


	18. Chapter 14

**Hello Klaine dearies. Now that the fluff-fest of chapters 11-13 has commenced we're going to be exploring some more…dramatic plot points but there will still be healthy doses of fluff to come. We're setting some stuff up in this chapter and it might leave you a little confused but all will be explained in subsequent chapters I promise. Some stuff may read as filler...but it isn't! Be warned for some angst but, as always, keep calm and Klaine on.**

**Oh, on Tumblr I've posted brief back stories for Kevin (Quinn's Fiance), Detroit (Tina's Boyfriend) and Gil (Kurt's friend) as well as the floor plan for Klaine's New York apartment if anyone's interested. My tumblr is (remove brackets) [blurtitoutalready][.][tumblr][.][com].**

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><p>November 5th, 2016<p>

Rain. Again. _Quinn is going to go ape-shit if it is _still_ raining this time next week_, thought Blaine as he listened to the creak of their window in its frame as the wind beat into it and rain fell steadily outside. Indeed it had been raining for the majority of the day – every day – for the past two weeks leaving the city of New York a soggy, grumpy mess.

It was early morning: Blaine had gotten up begrudgingly early for a Saturday as he had a list of groomsmen errands to run for Kevin before what promised to be an afternoon full of law school homework. Joy. To top it off it appeared their Keurig coffee maker had decided today was the day to kick the bucket. Blaine had been fiddling with it for twenty minutes inside their tiny kitchenette before finally deciding he'd have to head out for his morning caffeine fix.

Blaine exited the kitchenette and passed through their living room as he made his way back to their bedroom to retrieve his cell phone and wallet. It was so early (for a Saturday) even Kurt was still sleeping. Blaine couldn't really blame him though; they had returned late last night from a night out dancing at their favorite gay bar. Kurt turned in his sleep and the sheets around him shifted slightly, exposing his naked lower half, ass still slightly pink from Blaine spanking him soundly as soon as they returned from the club and Blaine had managed to wrangle the tight snakeskin-printed pants off of him. After making love both of them were so exhausted they fell asleep still nude and clinging to each other.

Reluctantly remembering he had a whole to-do list for the day, Blaine gave himself a shake, scribbled out a note to Kurt explaining about the coffee maker and promising to return with coffee for Kurt too, Blaine allowed himself one last hopefully not _too_ creepy stare at his fiancés ample ass, grabbed his things and quietly headed out the door.

Despite the rain the streets of the city were as packed as always. Umbrellas battled with each other as people passed by, leaving the hoards of pedestrians wondering why they bothered with an umbrella at all. Cursing his lack of foresight, Blaine struggled to zip his coat to keep out the chilly November air whilst balancing his umbrella in the crook of his elbow as the wind tried to batter it out of his grasp.

"Great day for ducks, huh?" a familiar cheerful voice called from a few feet behind him, causing Blaine to pause and turn around. The smiling face of the very tall (Blaine surmised she must be nearly as tall if not as tall as Finn) Gil Abbot, today clad in a bright pink rain coat with yellow rubber ducky's printed upon it, greeted him. Blaine chuckled and ran his hand threw his damp hair to stop the stream of raindrops from sliding down his face.

"Indeed. What are you doing out an about so early on a Saturday morning?" Gil shrugged.

"I've always been a morning person, surf's the best early in the day," she recalled fondly. "I have some errands to run, but I'm always on the go this time of day."

"I was about to get a coffee if you want to join me?"

"Sure. Where do you wanna go?"

"Have you ever been to Salvador's? It's just a couple blocks that way," Blaine pointed towards the street on their left. Gil grinned.

"I love Salvador's! Their pastries are killer," agreed Gil excitedly. The two set off at a brisk pace, eager to get inside the warm, dry café. After ordering their drinks (along with a couple of yummy-looking pumpkin scones) the two sat down at a nearby booth.

"So, how have you been? Kurt told me you're working for Tiffany and Company?" Gil's lips tightened almost imperceptibly and she sighed.

"Yeah, which I should be super grateful about even finding a job at all..."

"But…?" Blaine prompted.

"I'm doing jewelry repair. It is mind-numbingly boring, and something I could have done before I even enrolled at FIT," she confessed with a sigh. Blaine grimaced sympathetically. Gil took a deep breath. "It's not perfect, but it's a start. One step closer to the dream job."

"Which is?" Blaine asked between a bite of scone.

"Ideally I'd like to own my own boutique where I can just design what I like."

"I've seen the stuff you've made that Kurt has used for his shows and portfolio and they're all amazing. Especially those….what do you call them? The headband things…" Blaine drifted off, trying to come up with the right word.

"Fascinators?" Gil supplied. Blaine grinned.

"That's the word. Your Fascinators are fascinating." He giggled at his own joke, Gil laughed as well.

"Well thank you, Blaine, that's very kind. It's just frustrating – trying to get some traction for your skills. I know I'm in the same position as a lot of recent grads, but my life has stalled enough." Gil paused to take a sip of her coffee, Blaine swallowed a sip of his, unsure what, if anything, he should say.

"I know you're a little older than Kurt…" he began hesitantly. Gil chuckled.

"If by 'a little' you mean nearly a decade, then yes – I'm a little older than Kurt. There have been a lot of stops and starts in my life. My relationship with my parents has always been…rocky – I came out to them as bisexual when I was eighteen and they had a hard time with that but managed, then I fucked up my chances of doing pro-surfing because of my drug problem when I was twenty-four which _crushed _them but they paid for two years of rehab and therapy anyway and then at the end of that two years I came out to them again as Trans. That was too much for them to handle: they asked me to leave and I haven't been in contact with them since," Gil revealed, Blaine was a little amazed at her casualness in sharing all of this personal information but Kurt always said one of the things he liked most about Gil was her confidence and honesty.

"And I thought my parents were difficult," Blaine remarked quietly. Gil smiled kindly at him.

"It's not a contest. It _sucks_ about my parents, but I have my sister and brother-in-law, a million friends, and excellent coffee company: life could me much worse."

"Did you do your whole transition after you moved to New York?" Blaine blurted out suddenly. He opened his mouth immediately to backtrack but Gil waved him off with a hand.

"No. I started dressing in public and looking up stuff about therapists and Endo's and all that a few months before. One night I went to a straight bar with a friend of mine, one of my first times attempting to pass, and…I didn't. My friend and I got beaten up pretty badly by some drunks after I tried to use the ladies room." Blaine's breath hitched in his throat at the thought, as well as the memories of his own experience with violence flew to the forefront of his mind.

"My sister got a job offer in New York two days later and asked me to go with her once I got out of the hospital a week later. I said yes." She glanced fondly out the window as the rain pounded against the pavement. "This crazy city has been my home ever since."

"What happened to the guys who beat you and your friend up?" Blaine asked, wondering furiously if they had gotten away with what they did.

"One of them got felony assault, the other three were charged with misdemeanors. I haven't really kept up with their fate after I flew home the once to testify." She took a bite of her scone and chewed slowly, surveying Blaine with watchful eyes. "Not to pry, but why do I get the feeling that you empathize with that story more than you sympathize with it?"

"When I was sixteen, at the end of sophomore year of high school my friend and I got beaten up after a dance by three homophobes." Gil's lips pursed at having her suspicions confirmed.

"How bad?"

"Um, Alex's arm – the guy I went to the dance with – his left arm was broken, and my nose, but other than that just scrapes and bruises. We both went to the emergency room, but we didn't have to stay overnight or anything. Not as bad as yours I guess."

"Still not a contest," Gil chided him, "and bad enough." Blaine supposed she was right. "Did your…were you out to your parents at that time?" Gil ventured. Blaine nodded, but his grimace deepened as annoyance over recent parent-related events hit him.

"I had come out to them about a month before. They weren't….happy about it, but they didn't kick me out or anything."

"And after you got beaten up?"

"We didn't discuss it; I asked to be transferred to this private school I'd heard had a good anti-bullying policy and they said they'd do it. I finished out the year at my old school and enrolled at Dalton the following fall."

"Sounds like the best option."

"Maybe. I always kind of regretted it. Running away." Gil scoffed.

"You were what – sixteen? A child. An instinct for self preservation is nothing to be ashamed about."

"I suppose. Kurt went to Dalton for a few months before he transferred back to McKinley. If I hadn't been a senior when I met Kurt you know I think I might have transferred there with him or the following school year or something," Blaine confessed. Gil raised her well-sculpted eyebrows.

"How would your parents have felt about that?" Blaine laughed somewhat cynically.

"Not positively I'm sure. Heck, we've been together five and a half years and my mother was shocked when I told her Kurt and I are getting married."

"Really?" Blaine shook his head in exasperation.

"Really. My dad was actually surprisingly okay about it. Not like – embracing, or anything but he said I was an adult and should make my own decisions and the next time I talked to him he told me he wanted me to be happy. My _mom_ on the other hand, who I always have kind of thought was a little…better, about me being gay – well she is completely opposed to the idea. It was like I had just come out: she started bringing up the idea of setting me up with girls…" Gil blanched.

"Oh no…"

"Oh yes," Blaine lamented with a sigh. "I'm really not looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving in less than three weeks, and I'm going to be doing Thanksgiving with them _alone_ since 'From Justin to Kelly' opens on Black Friday and Kurt has to be there for the first few shows."

"How is that going, by the way?" Gil asked, trying and failing to keep a slight snigger out of her tone. Blaine felt himself relax a bit as he remembered the wild stories Kurt would bring home a few days about the progression of the show.

"Kurt theorizes that opening night and closing night will be the same date, but don't tell anyone he said that," Blaine answered with a chuckle. "Kurt's just glad he's getting some paid work experience, and the woman who's producing Loretta something – she has lots of connections and helped Kurt get an interview for a Junior Designer position with Marc Jacobs."

"Heavens I've missed a lot – I should really call Kurt, not that I mind talking to you, but Kurt and I are buds and I haven't even seen him since the day after you two got engaged. Congratulations by the way!" Blaine smiled and glanced down fondly at the ring on his left finger.

"Thank you." Gil's cell phone beeped and she fished the neon-green encased iPhone out of the pocket of her rain coat.

"Bummer. I have to go. It was nice catching up for a bit. Congratulations again and tell Kurt I send my love and _will_ be calling him to hang out soon, okay?"

"I'll do that," Blaine assured. Gil hastily fastened the buttons on her rain coat, popped out of her seat and was off. Staring down at the remnants of his coffee cup and the few crumbs of scone left on their shared plate Blaine brooded for a few minutes about the difficult conversations he'd been having with his mother lately and whether she'd be able to accept that he and Kurt were getting married…or, well he wasn't even sure what the alternative was. Carole and Burt had already been asking about an engagement party but Blaine had asked Kurt to put it off until he could speak with his parents in person when he went home for Thanksgiving.

Absently Blaine reached for his coffee cup and was surprised to find it empty. Thinking he'd better stop stewing and get a move-on, he returned to the counter and got a refill to go before heading back out into the storm to finish (well, start) his errands. After a trip to the dry cleaners, the bank and the library he returned once again to the café and ordered two more coffees – one for him and one, as promised, for Kurt, along with a few more pumpkin scones.

With hands full of books, a few of his and Kurt's sweaters and two coffee's Blaine fumbled with the lock to their front door but managed to jimmy it open after a few tries, the bag of scones secured between his teeth. The door opened and Blaine stepped inside the living room.

Kurt was in the living room, his back to Blaine and the doorway as he bopped along to…something. A moment later Blaine noticed the thin white cords of Kurt's headphones peeking out from just under his earlobes. Just before he opened his mouth to say "Good morning" Kurt picked up his dust rag and began to sing, his hips swaying back and forth in time with the music Blaine couldn't hear. He instantly recognized the song though.

_Lately people got me all tied up  
>There's a countdown waiting for me to erupt<br>Time to blow out  
>I've been told who I should do it with<br>To keep both my hands above the blanket  
>When the lights out<em>

_Shame on me  
>To need release<br>Uncontrollably _

_I-I wanna go go all the wa-ay  
>taking out my freak tonight<br>I-I wanna sho-ow  
>All the dirt<br>I got running through my mind, whoa_

Kurt turned around and caught sight of a very amused (and, well, kind of turned on) Blaine staring at him just as he went on to the next verse. He hastily pulled the headphones out of his ears.

"Blaine! Jesus you scared the daylights out of me." Blaine chuckled and threw up his palms innocently.

"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt the show." Kurt grinned saucily over at him and sauntered up to the other man.

"I'll give you a show," he whispered in Blaine's ear. His fiancé shivered.

"Oh?" He felt Kurt nod against his cheek before pulling away.

"After coffee."

"Tease," whined Blaine. Kurt didn't reply, he simply pecked the shorter man on the nose and eagerly took one of the coffees out of Blaine's hands along with their dry cleaning. The two put away the sweaters and the books before settling down at the small nook in their kitchenette for round two of Blaine's breakfast and round one of Kurts'.

"I ran into your friend Gil this morning. We ended up having coffee together. She misses you: told me to tell you she'd call soon."

"I miss her too! I have texted her a few times but I haven't heard anything back so I'm glad you got to talk to her."

"She's had a bit of a rough go of it, hasn't she?" Kurt looked confused for a moment. "Before college," Blaine specified.

"Oh. Yes. She told you about all that? Getting attached in California and everything?" Blaine nodded.

"She's a very open person." Kurt smiled softly.

"She is." Kurt searched his eyes for a moment. "Did you tell her about the Sadie Hawkins dance?"

"A bit."

"Are you alright?" Kurt lifted his arm to stroke at Blaine's cheek with his thumb. Blaine covered Kurt's hand with his home.

"Yeah, I got to come home to my gorgeous, handsome fiancé wiggling around our apartment singing Britney Spears, I'm good." Kurt smiled at him and took a last sip of his coffee, setting it down on the table, taking Blaine by the hand and standing up

"So...how about that show then?" He asked with a sly wink.

* * *

><p>"And I thought you came from money," Kurt teased as he and Blaine arrived at the church Kevin and Quinn were to be married in and he observed the impressive arrangement of flowers and other wedding décor. The church itself was huge – a massive old cathedral – which was befitting as the Fabray-Woods wedding sported a guest list pushing four hundred. As Blaine was one of Kevin's groomsmen the couple arrived early for the ceremony. Quinn had been very relieved when Kurt assured he he'd be arriving early with Blaine as he was to be on stand-by in case of any last minute wardrobe malfunctions.<p>

Blaine gave Kurt a swift kiss and then headed off to where Kevin and the other groomsmen were getting ready. The church was fairly empty so Kurt found his seat easily enough and took a moment to gaze around the interior of the cathedral. Though Kurt was absolutely _not_ planning to get married in a church, being in one for a wedding sent little thrills though him as he thought about his own upcoming wedding – one for which he and Blaine still needed to set a date. Thinking about color patterns and adjusting a few feathers in his hat Kurt nearly missed the excited shout of his name that came from the back of the church a few minutes later.

"Brittany!" He shouted happily once he turned around to see the bubbly blonde racing toward him. He shuffled out of his pew and embraced her. "Boo, I've missed you."

"I miss you too, Kurt, and Blaine. I'm so excited, Quinn is getting married – and _you're _getting married too!" Kurt grinned widely at her enthusiasm.

"How are you darling?"

"Good. Busy. Being on tour is exhausting, but totally awesome."

"What's your favorite city you've been to?" Kurt asked curiously.

"I liked Tokyo and Kyoto a lot. I don't like Madison much though." Madison…Madison, Kurt searched his memory.

"Wisconsin? Why not?" Brittany frowned.

"Well, everyone wears these cheese hats on their heads but," she paused and looked at Kurt very seriously, "you are _not_ supposed to eat them."

"No…I'd imagine not," Kurt sympathized as seriously as he could manage.

"Lord Tubbington didn't like Madison much either; he loves cheese." Several other people filed into the church.

"Brittany," Kurt ventured, "are you here by yourself or…?"

"Well of course I'm myself, silly! Who else would I be?"

"No, no, I mean…did Mike travel with you?"

"Oh! He left LA a few days before I did to go visit Artie and Sam in Chicago – I think they're all coming in together." She looked around the church. "This is a big place. Is everyone from high school going to be here?"

"No, it's just you, me, Blaine, Mike, Artie, Sam, Mercedes – she's bringing her boyfriend Jay, and Santana." Kurt paused, "Speaking of Santana…what's going on with you two these days, if anything?" Brittany considered his question for a long moment, hemming and hawing over her answer. Before she could begin the two heard their names being called from the back of the church.

Mike, Sam and Artie – each with one of three very similar looking girls on their arm (or in Artie's case, behind him pushing him along), made their way to the front of the pews.

"Hey ya'll," greeted Artie, "Kurt, Brittany – this is Ashley, Amber and Amanda. Girls – this is Kurt and Brittany, friends of ours from high school."

"There are three of you!" exclaimed Brittany, slightly alarmed.

"We're triplets," explained the middle one – Amber, maybe.

"Nice to meet you ladies," offered Kurt before looking at Sam who was smiling proudly and offering him an 'I am judging you three _so_ hard right now' look and raised eyebrow. Sam kept his smile in place and just shrugged his shoulders.

"Where are the others?" asked Mike as the six shuffled in to sit next to Kurt and Brittany (Kurt had thought ahead and sat in the only pew in the church with a wheelchair cut-away).

"Blaine, Mercedes and Santana are in the wedding," Kurt answered, ticking their names off on the fingers of his right hand, so with the exception of 'Cedes boyfriend Jay I think we're all here."

"Where's Tina?" Mike asked somewhat awkwardly.

"Her boyfriend, Detroit, his mother is really sick, in the hospital sick – so they're still in Brooklyn with her."

"Oh, that's…that's too bad. I hope she'll be okay," Mike answered.

"Too much old history for Finn and Rachel to be here?" asked Artie.

"Um, I'm sure that's part of it, but Quinn and Rachel got in a fight a month and a half ago about…something, I think having to do with the wedding, and bam, neither of them were invited anymore," Kurt explained, feeling a little uncomfortable. Thankfully the rest of the guests had arrived (including a slightly harried looking Jay who complained about construction on the GW) and the music began to play from the organist as Kevin, Blaine and the other groomsmen filed into the church.

Kurt beamed proudly and Blaine winked at his fiancé as he passed by. All five of the young men (Kevin's brother Paul serving as best man with his friend Jason and cousin Nafi rounding out the grooms party) looked rather dashing in their crisp suits. After they assembled the bridal party followed, fronted by Quinn's sister Frances as Matron-of-Honor (a reluctant, obligatory choice Kurt was aware), Mercedes, Santana and former Miss Maine: Alicia Vaughn serving as bridesmaids. Thankfully Kurt had managed to talk Quinn out of using the same exact bridesmaid dress for each of the girls and rather finding a tone that worked well with everyone's coloring and then dresses suited to each of the women's body types – they all looked beautiful.

Standing between Kevin's brother Paul and his cousin Nafi Blaine gazed out into the crowd as the bridal party entered the church. He watched Kurt laugh easily at something Mike told him while he adjusted Sam's tie. _I'm gonna marry him_, Blaine thought happily, images of himself and Kurt standing on a raised platform exchanging vows popping into his head. As the daydream continued his minds-eye created the images of his parents and he sighed heavily. _I thought mom was okay with this, I thought mom was okay with __**me**__, _thought Blaine heavily. The morning after he and Kurt had gotten engaged he'd called his mother at work. Blaine wasn't sure he was glad or not that his father had not told her the news.

She was angry. That much was clear. Shocked and angry. First she said Blaine was too young to get married and Blaine assured her that he and Kurt weren't getting married _tomorrow_ they hadn't even thought about setting a date yet. Then she said that it was a mistake. He tried to keep his tone calm, he really did, but by now, Blaine was angry as well. How the hell was this earth-shattering news to her? She couldn't answer that one. "Think of your career!" she implored. Blaine curtly informed her that if a law firm didn't want to hire him because he was married to Kurt it would be their loss, not his. She babbled on and finally asked how she could do this to her. That was the final straw for Blaine and he hung up on her. It was the longest phone conversation he'd ever had with his mother.

A few days later she'd called him, sweet as pie, and they'd talked with formal-politeness for a few minutes before she casually brought up the name of one of her friends daughters – a Harvard Law student named Samantha. Blaine listened to her speak about the young woman, who apparently loved soccer and had also interned in the Washington, D.C. area the previous summer. A few sentences later it became obvious that she'd brought up the girl simply to try to entice Blaine into meeting her. It was an old ploy, one that hadn't been executed by his mom since she'd tried to set him up with Thad's now fiancée Hanna all those years ago. He'd hung up on her again, earning him a scolding phone call from his father.

Surprisingly his dad hadn't defended his mothers' antics, but he hadn't really condemned them either. He'd simply asked that the discussion be tabled until they could all talk about in person at Thanksgiving. Blaine had acquiesced to his request but told his father, "I want to be very clear – I'm willing to talk to you two more about Kurt and me getting married, but whether Kurt and I get married is _not_ up for 'discussion'." His dad had remained quiet on the other line for a few moments before quietly saying "I know" and making his goodbyes. The whole thing was rather confusing and distressing for Blaine, there had to be more about why his mom was so upset when, hello – Blaine had been out for _years_ and with Kurt for _years_ and had been talking about someday marring Kurt for _years_. A hand found Blaine's elbow and he was pulled out of his reverie. Kevin looked at him concernedly.

"Everything okay man?" Blaine gave himself a shake and smiled at his friend.

"Yeah, of course, you're getting _married_ in a few minutes!" he replied cheerfully, willing the unbidden heaviness in his chest to dissipate so he could concentrate on focusing his energy towards Quinn and Kevin for their special day.

After the flower girl and ring bearer (second cousins of Kevin) made their way down the long aisle, the organist began to play again and Quinn appeared in the doorway to the hall. Looking as lovely as ever she proudly strode up to the pulpit, walking as gracefully as if she were gliding by on a cloud. Her father, mother, and step-father looked on from their seats in the front row. Kurt had been with Quinn for the phone-argument with her father about who should walk her down the aisle when Quinn declared, "like Hell if I need _anyone_ to 'give me away' or any other nonsense. You will sit in your seat and behave or you will not be attending at all." Kurt felt rather proud of her.

The ceremony progressed without a hiccup. Though Kurt, personally, could have done without the fifteen minute mini-mass preceding the actual exchange of vows the ceremony was otherwise very touching. Once it was over everyone stood for a million and twelve pictures in various arrangements on the steps of the church until Quinn looked like she might turn into a Popsicle (the weather had cooperated as far as rain but the temperature remained a stalwart 47 degrees). Finally the horde of guests slowly made their way across the street to a four-star hotel, the reception would take place in the ballroom and guests who had traveled a long distance had planned stay at the hotel.

It appeared that nearly everyone Quinn and Kevin had ever met, along with even the most long distance of relatives had turned up for the event. After completing the majority of his groomsmen duties Blaine found Kurt again, pulling him into a tight hug and whispering "soon enough this will be us" in Kurt's ear. Kurt grinned madly at the notion and pulled his fiancé into a lingering kiss. Eventually they were separated again for speeches and dinner (thankfully Kurt was placed at a table with his other friends and a few of Kevin's buddies he'd met on occasion so he wasn't too lonely) and the cutting of the enormous nine-tiered cake. Once all of those formalities had been taken care of Quinn declared that it was time to dance and most of the crowd jumped to their feat as a well known cover-band began to play.

About half an hour into dancing they paused for the rest of the traditional wedding affairs – the tossing of the bouquet, the fetching of the garter belt (Kevin's cousin Nafi awkwardly caught the garter belt and, clearly self conscious, slid it up a smirking Santana's leg), and all the other traditional wedding requirements. After the band began to play once more Kevin separated himself from the crowd and popped up again from and center on the bands stage.

"What are you doing?" Cried a confused but joyful Quinn.

"I'm going to sing to my beautiful bride if you don't mind," Kevin explained. Looking delighted, Quinn clapped. The rest of the guests joined in as Kevin got set up.

_You can move in  
>I won't ask where you've been<br>'Cause everybody has a past  
>When we're older<br>We'll do it all over, again_

Kurt spun a giggling Quinn around the dance floor while Blaine danced with the flower girl as they were serenaded by the surprisingly pleasant voice of Quinn's new husband.

_When everybody else is getting out of bed  
>I'm usually getting in it<br>I'm not in it to win it  
>I'm in it for you<em>

_If it's love  
>And we're two birds of a feather<br>Then the rest is just whatever  
>Yeah, the rest is just whatever <em>

The night went on – three-way split father daughter dance for Quinn and a two-way spilt mother-son dance for Kevin. The mood relaxed and jovial. Artie rolled over to Quinn during a pause in the music and after talking to her briefly he also appeared on the stage, offering his congratulations. He took the mic:

_They say all's fair in love and war  
>But I won't need to fight it<br>we'll get it right and we'll be united_

_And I know that we can be so amazin'  
>And bein' in your life is gonna change me<br>And now I can see every single possibility_

_And someday I know it'll all turn out  
>And I'll work to work it out<br>Promise you kid I'll give so much more than I get  
>I just haven't met you yet<em>

Everyone agreed that Artie sounded fantastic singing the Michael Bublé cover – his date, Ashley …or was it Amber, certainly seemed impressed, opting to stay sitting in his lap the rest of the evening as he wheeled around the dance floor.

Quinn had asked Mercedes to sing one of her favorite songs and at a quarter to ten Mercedes finally made her way up to the stage. The band began a slow, soulful tune and all the couples found each other, Jay dancing with Quinn's eight-year-old niece.

_Stand beside me, stand beside me all the while  
>Come on daddy face the future, why don't you smile?<br>__Trust in me and I'll be worthy of you  
><em>_Oh yeah, yeah, why don't you  
><em>_You trust in me in all you do_

_And have the faith that I, I have in you  
>Oh, and love will see us through<br>If only you trust in me _

"Can all of your friends sing?" Frances, Quinn's sister asked, her tone caught between impressed and annoyed. Kurt laughed.

"We all just got lucky we found each other. I'm actually surprised Quinn hasn't been up on stage yet. Sure enough, now that the evening was coming to an, Quinn took the stage and announced she'd be 'closing the show' (she might have been fairly tipsy in addition to love-drunk at the time). Despite her slight intoxication her voice flowed as pleasantly as ever as she began an old classic._  
><em>  
><em>Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream<br>Make him the cutest that I've ever seen  
>Give him two lips, like roses and clover<br>then tell him that his lonesome nights are over_

_Sandman, I'm so alone  
>Don't have nobody to call my own<br>Please turn on your magic beam  
>Mr. Sandman bring me a dream<em>

The crowd exploded with applause and Quinn jumped off the raised stage and in to Kevin's waiting arms. Giggling madly, the pair hurried out the ceremony with a few hastily shouted goodbyes. Sweaty and tired from dancing but happy, Kurt found Blaine once more and the two made sure to say goodbye to everyone (with hopes to see the non-New Yorkers again at Christmastime) before calling a cab to take them back to the LIRR towards home.

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked sleepily as the train sped into the night. Kurt fiddled with his cell phone for another moment before speaking.

"September 15th, 2018." He looked at Blaine expectantly but Blaine was too tired to comprehend what Kurt wanted from him.

"Hmm?"

"How do you feel about getting married on September 15th, 2018? You'll be done with Law School by then and I think an early fall wedding would be perfect."

"Sounds perfect," mumbled Blaine as he curled further into Kurt's shoulder blade. After a few minutes Blaine's breathing evened out as he fell asleep on Kurt's shoulder with Kurt's fingers idly stroking his hair. Smiling, Kurt added a 'new event' to his cell phone's calendar system and stared down at the entry in wonder for a full five minutes before allowing his own eyes to flutter close.

* * *

><p>The next week and a half flew by. Quinn and Kevin departed for Barcelona on their honeymoon, Rachel landed a singing-role in a commercial for Dunkin Donuts, Kurt and Blaine sent flowers to Detroit's rapidly deteriorating mother, and the night before Thanksgiving David and Blaine took an evening flight out of New York to Columbus. The weather was nasty, yet again and Blaine didn't arrive home until after midnight – their other New York friends either staying in the city for the holiday (like Kurt) or having already traveled home.<p>

Burt and Carole weren't thrilled that Kurt would be missing Thanksgiving for work but were thrilled that he was getting the chance to have a whole Broadway show of his costumes premiere the following day. Thanksgiving morning Kurt found himself in the kitchen of one of the cities three Queer Homeless Youth shelters alongside Gil, assisting other volunteers in preparing a Thanksgiving feast for the kids at the shelter. When Gil found out Kurt was stuck in New York for Thanksgiving she had immediately invited him to join in her yearly ritual and, after a bit of convincing that it would be fun and that the shelter was actually looking for someone to 'manage' the event this year Kurt had agreed.

After all of the residence had been fed and the kitchen cleaned Kurt dashed off to the set of 'From Justin to Kelly' the crew meeting for final preparations for the following days premiere. An hour into work Kurt felt his cell phone buzz in his pocket with an incoming call. Blaine's name and smiling face flashed up at him.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Kurt chirped cheerfully.

"Hi," answered Blaine, sounding morose. A loud sniff was audible from Blaine's line and Kurt's heart sunk at the noise.

"Blaine, honey, what happened?" Kurt asked heartbrokenly into his cell phone as he signaled to one of the stage hands that he needed to step away for a few minutes.

"I'm just so _sick_ of this Kurt. I'm so jealous of your relationship with Burt and Carole. Why can't they be like that?" Blaine demanded.

"I-I don't know," answered Kurt honestly, wishing with all he had that he _did_ know so that he might be able to _do_ something about all this for Blaine. "What did they say?"

"We made it passed grace and had just started in on dinner when – oh God Kurt it was so awkward just the three of us – and my mom saw my ring and she was all like 'what's that' and, I mean, duh, mom _what else could it be_ so I told her and she sighed this big grand sigh, and basically she has been under the impression all this time that if she was 'supportive' and didn't make a big deal about me being gay that eventually I'd stop rebelling or some other bullshit and magically fall in love with a woman."

"What?" squawked Kurt.

"I know. It doesn't make any sense, then she started blaming my _dad_ about how he should have tried bonding with me better when I was a kid and – he, actually he was okay. He pretty much told her that he had expected you and me to get married and he wants me to be happy. Well that just pissed her off and she started going on about everything she's done for our family and how we're both so ungrateful and…" Blaine let out an exasperated huff.

"You are not ungrateful, she is being…kind of insane if you ask me," Kurt assured him. Blaine let out a sigh, Kurt's soothing voice slowly chipping away at the considerable tension in his neck and shoulders.

"If it were anyone else I'd just tell them to fuck off, you know? But she's my, my mom," Blaine explained, his voice cracking a little on the last word.

"What do you want to do?" Kurt asked.

"I have no idea. At the moment I just want to get out of here."

"Do you want to come back early? I don't think I can get away from here until late tomorrow night but I could like fake my death or something…" Kurt offered; his imagination wheeling as he tried to think up a plausible excuse for missing opening night. Blaine let out a choked laugh.

"I love you, but…I'll make it through tomorrow and come home Saturday like I'm supposed to. It'll be okay. Tomorrow I'm supposed to hang out with Wes, David, Thad and some other old Warblers and that'll be good. I haven't seen a lot of them in ages." Kurt breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. What about the rest of the night? Carole already texted me about what time you'll be stopping by for pie…"

"I…I didn't want to impose," Blaine mumbled into the phone. Kurt rolled his eyes grandly.

"Go, before Finn eats all of the pumpkin pie and you're stuck with Lemon Meringue." Blaine let out groan of disgust.

"I hate Lemon Meringue."

"You'd better leave now then."

"It'll be weird sleeping in your bed without you."

"I miss you too."

"You really think I should –"

"Go. Don't beat yourself up about any running away nonsense, Blaine, we're getting married, remember? _My_ family is _your _family, and I _know_ my parents will be annoyed if their future son-in-law doesn't make at least one appearance while he's nearby." Blaine sighed.

"Okay." A stage hand appeared and pointed to an invisible watch on his wrist.

"So you'll go?" prompted Kurt. He held up his hand to the stage hand and mouthed 'I'll be right there!"

"I'm getting my bag now."

"Tell Wes I said hello."

"I will. I'll see you Saturday afternoon, you got me a ticket to the 8pm show right?"

"I did, but," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "don't be surprised if there _isn't_ a Saturday show…or Sunday show or anything else."

"Well, at least everyone will look fabulous."

"Damn straight." The stage hand reappeared, accompanied by one of the actors – they each looked fairly distressed. "Shit. The guy who's playing Justin Guarini just got gum in his wig _again_ – I have to go baby. Text me when you get to the house, okay?"

"I will. I love you Kurt."

"I love you too Blaine." He pressed end on his phone and shouted "I'm coming, I'm coming!" at the stage hand and actor. _This ridiculous show is going to be the death of me – if I don't kill someone first_, thought Kurt ruefully as he hurried off. The rest of the evening was spent doing the last minute fitting work on all of the costumes and putting out fires all over set as the director suddenly wanted to make changes to the show even though it was the night before the premier.

Kurt finally arrived home a little after one am. Blaine had been on his mind all evening and he was relieved when Blaine sent him a picture message of the last piece of pumpkin pie a few minutes after he arrived at Kurt's parent's house. _This would be so much easier if Blaine didn't care about his parents_, thought Kurt as he washed his face and began his nightly moisturizing routine, _but he does – of course he does Blaine cares about _everyone_. I'm just going to have to figure out a way of either getting his parents on board or to at least back off_. Everything with Blaine's mom didn't make sense to Kurt either. He thought back to the (handful) of times he'd been around her and Blaine's dad, it certainly seemed like she was the more…open, accepting of the two – she'd at least try to make some polite conversation with him. _I have to talk to her_.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, no smut. Sorry – as much as I love to write it, it just didn't really fit in with the tone I am going for regarding this chapter. Consider it a parallel with Chapter 7. I can already tell you that there won't be any smut in chapter 21 either. I have set up several things in this chapter that will play out over the next 6 or so, so if I don't address something immediately it hasn't been forgotten about or anything.<strong>

**Songs in this chapter: **_I wanna go_ – Britney Spears, _If It's Love_ – Train, _Haven't Met You Yet_ – Michael Buble, _Trust in Me _– Etta James and _Mr. Sandman_ – The Chordettes. Links to all of these songs are on my Tumblr.

**Regarding season three: As stated previously in this fic we're going AU after season 2 but I'd like to make a slight adjustment to that: we are going AU insofar as whatever happens in season 3 happens and will not change the plot of this fic, **_**however**_** if any additional information regarding Klaine, Kurt or Blaine is revealed that would fit nicely into the plot of ITT – I may or may not choose to include it. **

**Again, thank you as always for reading, favorite-ing, reviewing, alerting, following on tumblr etc. Chapter 15 will take place in late December/early January and then we'll be moving right along. If you're interested in seeing my ridiculous Sims mock up of the klaine NYC apartment check it out on my tumblr page. Two weeks till Glee guys!**


	19. Chapter 15

**Hello there readers, it's nice to see you. Well, not 'see' you – but you know what I mean! I'm sorry for the delay but RL angsty stuff kind of put a hitch in my giddy-up for about a week. **

**As always, thank you so much for reading, reviewing, favorite-ing, alerting, following on tumblr, etc.**

* * *

><p>December 22rd, 2016<p>

"You are never going to believe what I let myself get talked into…" was Kurt's jokingly-exasperated greeting when Blaine came down the stairs from playing video games in Finn's room to investigate how Kurt's Christmas cookies were coming along while Carole and Burt were out visiting friends. The three had arrived home for Christmas the evening before.

"…What?" asked Blaine hesitantly.

"Well, tomorrow while you, _darling_, are off being a hooligan with Wes, David and Thad _I_ am going with Dave to visit Jerome at Owens…" began Kurt.

"The community college in Perrysburg? Why? Is Jerome okay?" Blaine frowned; Kurt's expression looked like it was caught between a laugh and a scream, if something was wrong then why –

"The very same. Jerome is fine. Actually he's doing quite well, enjoying college, rooming with Kei turned out to be a really good decision, he got permission to stay in his dorm all winter break so he doesn't have to find anywhere to stay – aaand, it would appear that he's found himself a boyfriend." Kurt paused and closed his eyes, a faint blush starting to form high in his cheekbones.

"Well that's, good….isn't it?" Kurt laughed.

"It's wonderful. Really, it is. He's dating this second year student named Michael and has been since the tail end of September. It's going well. _Really_ well. So well that Jerome would now like to talk to someone about sex. He asked Dave, of course, as they're so close. Well Dave has decided he needs an… assistant for this discussion." Blaine's eyes widened, he held his fisted hand over his mouth, trying, and failing to keep in his giggles.

"So he asked you to go with him? To give Jerome 'the talk'?"

"Us. Actually. He requested the both of us. However, seeing as you already have plans and seeing as I am the most wonderful fiancé ever…you're off the hook." Kurt playfully swatted Blaine with a dish towel as Blaine gave up on trying to contain his laughter.

"Well I'm sorry to miss it, I'm sure it'll be…um, interesting," he teased once he stopped laughing. Kurt stuck his tongue out at the other man.

"Oh yes – the highlight of my day," began Kurt sarcastically, "I may even dig out those old pamphlets my dad gave me; I'm pretty sure they're buried in the bottom drawer of my dresser." Kurt narrowed his eyes at the other man and Blaine, who knew exactly what was coming, threw up his hands in protest. "I still _cannot_ believe you –"

"Yes, yes, I know. Probably not the most thought out thing I've ever done. It all worked out didn't it though? _And_, those pamphlets came in very handy that first summer, didn't they?" Kurt glared at the other man ruefully.

"You're lucky I love you."

"I know, and I love you right back." Kurt smiled and pecked him on the nose before returning to putting the finishing touches on some very elaborately decorated snowflake sugar cookies. "Can I have one of these?" Blaine asked, picking up one of the sweet treats – this one decorated with what looked like white butter-cream frosting and delicate off-white pearl sprinkles.

"Yes, but only one!" Kurt stopped mid-spread and gestured towards the heaps of cookies that had been separated into small piles, "this dozen is for the Berry's," he explained, "those are for Carole's family, the snowmen are for my Uncle Andy's family, the Snickerdoodles and Blackberry Jam Thumbprints are for 'Cedes family, these," he pointed towards the pile he was currently working on, "are for your family and the rest are for us – and between you and Finn we'll be lucky to have any left at all on Christmas day."

Blaine bit down on the cookie in his hand and shot a frustrated glance at the pile Kurt had indicated were for his parents. Despite being an Atheist Kurt took holidays and family-centered occasions very seriously and every year since he and Blaine had gotten together sent Blaine home on Christmas Eve with a beautiful tin of homemade hand-decorated cookies and a card wishing them well. He'd never received so much as a thank-you in return from either of Blaine's parents. Blaine had tried to cover with a 'my parents say thank you' the first few years but he was a really terrible liar – even for little white lies that should have come easily, and had given up eventually when his "parents'" thank you was met with only a raised-eyebrow from Kurt.

Seeing as the situation with Blaine's mother had steadily gotten worse since the Thanksgiving kerfuffle Blaine thought Kurt might skip this year's batch of homemade goodies but Kurt was, of course, as stubborn as always. Kurt had actually tried to call and speak with the Andersons a few times once Blaine had returned from his visit to Ohio but was only met with an awkward but formally polite Mr. Anderson who was willing to make small talk with Kurt but undoubtedly 'had to go' after a minute or two and a Mrs. Anderson that always appeared to be "out running errands" every time Kurt called. Blaine didn't know whether to be grateful for Kurt's attempts or frustrated with him. His want for both of his parents' support was deeper than he could acknowledge but…it wasn't Kurt's job to fix it and if Kurt _could_ fix it when Blaine _couldn't_, well he wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

Grateful that Kurt hadn't noticed Blaine was chewing on his cookie (that was really, quite delicious) as though it was made from dirt and arsenic Blaine swallowed and helped Kurt divide the dozens of cookies into the aforementioned tins (this year each had been ornamented with a vintage Macys 42nd Street Storefront theme) and pile all of the baking ware into the dishwasher. He decided to push all of the frustrated thoughts about his parents out of his mind for the time being, while he doubted Kurt's cookies would magically win his mom over he didn't think they'd hurt either so it wasn't worth debating over.

"Finished?" Blaine asked once Kurt hung up his apron.

"Mhmm."

"Good," smiled Blaine, "because I was wondering…" he began, smiling slyly. Kurt returned his mischievous grin.

"Wondering what?"

"Well, I was wondering if maybe, since you're going to give Jerome 'The Talk' tomorrow – and I'm sure you'll be a very astute instructor – I was wondering if maybe you could give me a refresher course?" Blaine waggled his eyebrows suggestively and Kurt bit his lip to hide his near laugh, "Although I think I'd really like a 'more-hands' on version."

"Would you?" Kurt asked; his eyes bright. His eyes flitted up the stairs and he let out a puff of exasperated air, sending his bangs fluttering upwards. "Well you'll have to wait. I'm covered in powdered sugar, flour and frosting – and Finn is right upstairs." Blaine leaned forward and kissed away a smudge of powdered sugar that had settled on Kurt's lower lip.

"Finn is beta-ing a new version of Sam and Artie's video game that'll be out in the spring. He's got his headset on and when I left he and Puck were just about to go on a Raid. He'll be dead to the world for a few hours at least," Blaine reasoned.

"I'm still kind of gross," Kurt protested, raising his frosting and food-coloring stained arms.

"Well then, why don't we take a shower and get you cleaned up?"

"I like the way you think, Anderson."

"I thought you might."

Blaine took him by a cookie-dough covered hand and lead Kurt quickly up the stairs and into his room. Always thankful for Burt's initiative in seeking out a house with not one but two master suites when he and Carole married, Blaine wasted no time in stripping Kurt and himself of their clothes on their way into Kurt's en-suite bathroom.

"You taste really good," commented Blaine appreciatively as he licked off a stripe of jam that had somehow gotten onto the underside of Kurt's wrist. Kurt giggled at the touch and pulled the other man closer to him, his other hand reaching to turn on the shower.

"Do I?" Kurt asked coyly. Blaine released Kurt's wrist with a pop and brought himself up straight to face Kurt.

"Let me show you," Blaine whispered before pressing his lips onto Kurt's, his tongue sliding in between the other mans slightly parted lips. _This _should_ be gross_, thought Kurt half-heartedly before Blaine's tongue moved against his in a way that made him lose all possible trains of thought.

Once the water heated up the two shuffled into the shower. They made out for a while under the stream of hot water and soon enough the two were hard and panting against one another. Kurt had one of his hands wrapped around a shampoo bottle and Blaine had the loofah in his grasp as well but the two couldn't seem to decide if they wanted to have sex before or after cleaning up – they had tried doing it at the same time once, but if the memorable experience of Blaine getting stinging shampoo in his eyes in the middle of blowing Kurt taught them _anything_ – it was to not try that again.

"Fuck," decided Kurt as he let the shampoo bottle slip out of his grip and land with a slight bounce back on the shelf next to them, "sex first."

"Okay," agreed Blaine as he launched himself into the other man, marching Kurt backwards until Kurt's back was flush against the wall to the shower. They hadn't done this in a while and they'd nearly forgotten how fantastic it felt to slide up and against each other while the hot water kept them slippery and pliable. The nails of Kurt's right hand skimmed along Blaine's taut back while the other cupped one of his ass cheeks, keeping him as close as possible to Kurt.

"Rmfph," Blaine groaned in appreciation, the sound reverberating against the shower walls while he worked Kurt's neck and upper chest with his mouth, nipping lightly at the tender flesh. Kurt bent his knees a little and was rewarded for the change with the feeling of Blaine's dick – warm, hard, alive and pulsing, rubbing directly against his own.

"Fuck, _fuck_, fuck Blaine," he moaned, his head titled back against the shower wall to allow Blaine as much room as he could get with his thorough exploration of Kurt's neck. Though the temperature of the water wasn't any warmer than normal it was so _hot_ in the small space, steam emanating from above the shower curtain and fogging up the bathroom mirror. Kurt's hand shot up and off of Blaine's back to tangle in this thick wet curls, looping his fingers in several locks of the other mans hair. He gave the locks a slight tug and Blaine whined low in his throat.

"Ungh, harder," he groaned, his voice muffled against the red swell where his mouth had just been along Kurt's collarbone. He thrust up against Kurt for good measure and Kurt immediately complied. The nerve endings of his scalp seemed to have a direct line down to his cock which tightened slightly at the attention. "_Shit_, Kurt, god."

The water from the shower head beat down onto Blaine's back, a pleasant massage as he rutted against his fiancé. His hands, one of which had been pressed up against the shower wall to support the couple and the other holding tightly onto Kurt's waist finally wedged their way between Kurt and the wall and grabbed onto the younger mans ass and giving him a tight squeeze. Kurt whined in pleasure and pressed his hips back and into Blaine's hands.

"Turn around," Blaine growled. Kurt opened his eyes and hesitated for just a second before pressing a hard kiss against Blaine's reddened lips and doing as he was told. "God, Fuck Kurt, you have the most beautiful ass in the world," Blaine observed hungrily. Kurt smirked and pushed his hips out a little more, his chest flat against the damp shower wall. Blaine took hold of Kurt's wrist and directed it around Kurt's own cock. They worked in time to jerk Kurt off for a few strokes until Kurt was breathing heavily again and Blaine pulled his hand away.

With one hand pressed into the small of Kurt's back Blaine drew the other back before smacking it down against the center of Kurt's ass.

"Yesss," hissed Kurt – the sting of it definitely amplified by the fact that both of them are wet from the shower's stream but it still feels so fucking good as another slap of Blaine's hand lands firmly against his ass. "_Harder_," he orders and Blaine eagerly complies, covering every inch of Kurt's ass with his open palm. Kurt resumes stroking himself while Blaine spanks him, his ass a warm pink hue even faster than normal. "Fuck, Fuck – oh! Blaine," Kurt ground out from clenched teeth.

"You are so gorgeous like this Kurt," Blaine breathed against the shell of Kurt's ear, his hand stills against Kurt's ass and his fingers massage the tender flesh for a moment before sliding between his cheeks and pressing firmly against his entrance, the pad of his fingertip teasing his hole. "My naughty boy," Blaine teases and that's all it takes: in one, two, three more quick strokes to his erection Kurt's coming in spurts against the shower wall, Blaine's name echoing in the small space.

Kurt breathed heavily, limp in Blaine's arms as he came down off his high. After a minute he laughed- high airy and joyous before rounding on Blaine and kissing him deeply.

"I fucking love you," he declared between kisses.

"I love you too," Blaine replied instantly.

"Come here," Kurt said needlessly, his hands pressing into Blaine's shoulders and turning them both until Blaine's back is pressed up against the wall. He quickly adjusted the direction of the waters stream so it's not hitting Blaine's chest (getting water in your nose while you're trying to give a blow job isn't ideal, Kurt's found) and he pressed his body flush against Blaine's once more, kissing the other mans mouth, his jaw, the line of a vein along Blaine's neck, further down his chest to roll each of Blaine's nipples between the fingers of his hands, to slide his tongue along the ridge of one of Blaine's abs, down down _down_ to thrust against his belly button and paw at his ass.

On his knees, the balls of his feet getting hit by the steady stream of hot water from the showerhead, Kurt planted kisses along the wet heated skin of Blaine's lower abdomen. Blaine keened from above, his thighs trembling slightly in anticipation. Kurt wrapped a hand around Blaine's started pumping slowly along Blaine's length, this tongue dragging along the sensitive skin of Blaine's inner thighs and onto his balls. He drew one into his mouth a little and sucked lightly – Blaine gasping in appreciation and his hand jutting out to hold onto the shower railing for support. Kurt pushed his tongue out a little more and darted it back towards Blaine's perineum.

"Oh, oh, oh my god, Kurt," was Blaine's answering call. "I – I, I need, please, fuck just, oh god," begged Blaine nonsensically. Kurt took pity on the poor man and finally took the head of Blaine's penis into his mouth, sucking hungrily as his hands stroked and caressed the rest of Blaine's cock. He swallowed around Blaine as he drew more of the other mans length into this mouth, tongue lapping at the underside of Blaine's dick. It's funny how much he enjoys this, in part because he loves watching Blaine fall apart from his touch, but also the actual feel of Blaine filling up his mouth with his cock, his hips sending not quite thrusts against either side of Kurt's face. Blaine's got a hand in his hair while the other one hung onto the shower rail for dear life as Kurt began humming an unrecognizable tune and with barely a "K-k, Kurrt" as a warning comes hard down the other mans throat. Kurt swallowed him through the orgasm before pulling of Blaine's cock with a pop and pushing himself back up to kiss him.

Blaine grinned stupidly at Kurt as the two exchanged delicate little kisses. Kurt could tell from his slightly dazed expression Blaine was doing all he could to stay awake and coherent as they still needed to do the whole 'showering' part of their shower.

"Just – lean back against the wall," Kurt directed and Blaine couldn't seem to do anything _but_ comply. He allows Kurt to shampoo and condition his hair, then watches Kurt do his own before washing them both with Kurt's expensive sweet-smelling body wash. Once they've both been sufficiently cleaned, Kurt turned off the water and steps out of the shower, handing a fresh towel to a still slightly slow moving Blaine.

"Come on cowboy, lots to get accomplished if you wanna have time to try for round two later this afternoon," Kurt admonished as Blaine lethargically dried himself off. Blaine's ears perked up at the notion and he smiled widely.

"What's first?"

* * *

><p>The next morning, after much debate, Blaine was picked up by Wes, David and Thad for a day of Dalton reminiscing – including a pit stop to watch the current Warblers perform at a Nursing home outside of Westerville, and Kurt borrowed his dads truck and headed towards The Anderson Estate – Christmas cookies in tow. They had discussed the various likely outcome scenarios of Kurt bringing his Christmas present to Blaine's parents, versus Kurt and Blaine bringing them together, versus Kurt sending Blaine home with them as usual on Christmas Eve. None of them were all that positive, though Blaine doing what he always did seemed less likely to rock the boat.<p>

Blaine didn't even want to spend any part of Christmas with his family really at all by this point. He was so _angry_ with his mother and she refused to talk to him about it. His dad was thrust into the unexpected position of referee – a role he was definitely not prepared to take on. Conversations with both his parents were tight and clipped, his mother outright refused to talk about the wedding but was inexplicably annoyed when a decision was made without her knowing about it ahead of time. At the end of their discussion Blaine admitted that though he thought he _should_ go with Kurt and try to talk to his mom in person, he flat out didn't _want_ to. It was frustrating being so indecisive – Blaine usually prided himself on his ability to be confronted about something, assess the situation, and make a decision. This was not one of those cases.

So Kurt headed out in Burt's truck early the next day, glad he had to meet Dave on the way to talk to Jerome in the late morning and therefore had an out in the unlikely event he needed to make a quick getaway. They had decided against calling ahead to let Blaine's parents know Kurt was on his way, rather Blaine had texted them to say Kurt would be by 'at some point' between yesterday evening and Christmas day to drop them off. The ride actually went by surprisingly quickly – Kurt blasted the score to _Book of Mormon_ followed by Lady Gaga's latest album to keep himself somewhat distracted and entertained. He would never admit it but he was a little intimidated by Blaine's parents and this would be his first time ever going to see them alone, but despite his reservations, the relationship with his parents was important to Blaine and therefore Kurt would fight just as hard as Blaine to maintain it. The recent death of Tina's boyfriend Detroit's mother had served as a steely reminder to not waste time regarding the people you want in your life.

Thankful for the brand new pair of Turquoise and Silver Frye for Marc Jacobs Engineer Boots that Blaine had given him as an early Christmas present when the first snowfall of winter occurred a few weeks before (his old yellow boots of the same brand were now thoroughly worn out), Kurt put the car in park in the Andersons long drive way and took a deep steadying breath before exiting the truck. The driveway had been recently snow-blown but the angry December winds drifted the snow into deep banks no matter what you did to try to keep ahead of it. Trudging through a few inches of slush Kurt made his way up to the Estates front door and rang the doorbell. The silence after the chime of the bell hung thick in the air, the metal of the cookie tin slippery and cold in his gloved hands.

"Ye – oh! Hello…Kurt, hello," greeted Mr. Anderson slowly, the older man looking around and behind Kurt, clearly looking for Blaine.

"Good morning Mr. Anderson," Kurt answered, his voice as light as he could manage, "It's just me today. I wanted to drop off some Christmas cookies I made for you and Mrs. Anderson. Blaine's out with some of his old Dalton friends and I have a bunch of errands to run around all over Ohio today so I thought I'd just bring these myself. That and I, brr it's cold out here – would you mind if we went inside?" Kurt finished in a ramble.

"Oh, um, actually – Perla isn't really feeling well right now so it might be best if you…"

"Oh! Well I didn't meant to intrude, Blaine didn't know she was sick – "

"It's, um, just a cold but –"Mr. Anderson drifted off lamely, looking down at his shoes. Kurt sighed.

"Stop. This is silly. I know about what happened at Thanksgiving. I know Blaine hasn't been back here since then. I know he isn't planning on coming by for any longer than he absolutely has to on Christmas day. How long do you want this to go on Mr. Anderson?" Kurt asked bluntly, his teeth chattering in the frigid air. Looking a little affronted by being addressed so directly, Mr. Anderson's eyebrows knitted together in thought.

"I don't know what anyone expects _me_ to do about Blaine's problems with his mother."

"You're his father! I know it must be difficult for you to be put in the middle and you haven't always been as – accepting – as you apparently are now but he needs you. He needs you both."

"Blaine is a grown man. I'm sure he can handle…" Kurt tapped his foot in exasperation.

"A son always needs his father. Can you just tell me why Perl – Mrs. Anderson," Kurt quickly corrected upon noticing a slight raise to Mr. Andersons eyebrows, Kurt can't call her that, he isn't family after all, "Mrs. Anderson, why she is suddenly having such a problem with Blaine and I getting married?"

"It's – it's complicated," Mr. Anderson answered after a long moment, "don't you think you're overstepping a little?" Kurt offered him a dismissive, bored face.

"Not really. Your son went to speak to my dad to tell him to talk to me about sex when we were sixteen. If this is overstepping then now Blaine and I are even I suppose." Mr. Anderson stared at Kurt, obviously trying to take in that what Kurt had just said about Blaine talking to Burt about sex.

"It's complicated," he repeated finally.

"Try me: if I can make sense of the insanity of Rachel Berry on a rant, I'm sure you'll find my comprehension skills above par."

"Who's Rachel Ber -," Mr. Anderson paused and shook his head, "Our family is not one to air our dirty laundry out to the world."

"To the world?" Kurt protested with an eye roll, "for Heaven's sake – how much more clearly do I need to put this: I am marrying your son. You know? Blaine? The short one with curly hair?"" Kurt yanked off his glove and held up his left hand, his engagement ring glittering in the bright sunlight. "Even Blaine doesn't understand fully why she's so upset."

"Honestly neither do I," Mr. Anderson said quietly and then paused, looking faintly surprised at his own candor. "I mean, I'm not exactly thrilled you and Blaine are…well, you know –"

"Getting married?" Kurt supplied icily.

"Yes, that, but I figure – Blaine's twenty five now, he certainly seems set on being with you and I want, I want him to be happy," Mr. Anderson finished rather gruffly.

"We are happy," Kurt replied, a small fond smile threatening to break his stoic façade, "but he wants to be connected to you both. He told me his mother threatened to stop paying for school all together." For the first time in the conversation Mr. Anderson looked embarrassed.

"We aren't doing that," he answered quickly. "Blaine will have his education."

"Good. Are you sure Mrs. Anderson is too 'sick' to see me?"

"I – I, Kurt, maybe some other time."

"Well you'd better hope for a speedy recovery. Blaine and I are flying back to New York on the 27th as I start my new job the following day. He'll be by on Christmas day for brunch with you all but other than that I don't believe he's coming here during our trip. Please, just have her call him or let me talk to her or something. He wants you both in his life and, while I'm grateful you're feeling more 'accepting' now, you _both_ are missing it." Kurt paused, waiting for Mr. Anderson to say, to do, something. The older man stood awkwardly in the doorway, his expression unreadable. After waiting for several excruciating moments Kurt huffed loudly. "Fine. Here. Take these before they become permanently frozen to my fingers. Merry freaking Christmas _Mr_. Anderson." He shoved the tin into his fiancé's fathers' hands and spun on his heel, marching back towards the car and leaving the other man in staring after him in his wake.

It was good the drive back to Lima to meet Dave was long as it gave Kurt time to calm down and get into a more positive headspace. When he finally pulled up to the Karofsky household he was able to greet Dave with a genuine smile.

"Thanks for agreeing to do this with me," said Dave as he and Kurt made their way onto the highway in Dave's CRV.

"Of course. While I imagine this is going to compete for title of most awkward afternoon of the year after spending my morning with Blaine's dad I could use a good laugh and distraction."

"What happened?" Dave asked concernedly.

"Nothing, it's – they're just really frustrating." Dave flashed him a sympathetic look.

"I heard about Tina's boyfriends mom. That's too bad."

"Yeah, her cancer just was too aggressive. Tina said she was in a lot of pain and, well, now she isn't. She's staying with Detroit's family in Brooklyn over the holidays. Blaine and I went to the calling hours with Mercedes and everybody - Tina sang a lovely version of _Amazing Grace_."

"Was it hard going, you know, with your mom and all...?" Dave asked awkwardly.

"Yes," Kurt admitted. The two sat in contemplative silence for a few moments before Kurt decided to change the subject again.

"How're things going with you and Liam?" Dave smiled happily.

"Much better now that we're not living together. He's going to come visit me here a couple days after Christmas for the rest of winter break. It's weird – we take turns spending the night at each others' place every night but can't actually _live_ together."

"I'm sure if it's meant to be you guys will sort it all out eventually – and if not, other fish in the sea right?"

"Says the guy who's marrying the only guy he's ever dated." Kurt offered him a playful glare and decided to change the subject.

"It sucks that Jerome is spending Christmas alone at school," he observed morosely.

"I offered him to come to my house, and I know Kei offered to bring him home with her, but he's too proud to accept either of our offers."

"And the boyfriend…?"

"He isn't out to his parents, so bringing Jerome home isn't the best idea."

"I see. McKinley's sex ed program wasn't any more thorough than it was in our day?"

"I guess not. With the exception of that…what's her name? Valentines? Arbor?"

"Holiday?"

"Yeah, that Miss Holiday lady was the only one who ever even mentioned condoms or whatever and none of those programs ever talk about sex stuff for people like us."

"That was what Blaine said when he went to my dad well before we started dating and told him he should have 'The Talk' with me." Dave snorted.

"Get out of town. He really did that?" Kurt laughed in spite of himself.

"He sure did. Right in the middle of my dad's shop."

"Ballsy."

"Foolish, but I mean, I'm glad my dad did care enough to want to talk to me about all this stuff even though I about wanted to die during the conversations."

"Yeah. When I finally came out my parents didn't really give me a talk about sex or anything but my dad bought me a box of condoms when Mark and I first started dating. The only thing I could think of was 'kill me now' as he passed them to me after dinner one night."

"Yikes. I'm not sure I could use condoms my father supplied to me," Kurt noted.

"Oh, I bought some of my own, trust me," Dave agreed with a grin. He opened his mouth to continue but Kurt cut him off.

"Alright, why don't we table the awkward sex talk till we get there? Tell me more about your program?" Kurt asked. He had grown exponentially more comfortable discussing sex over the years but that didn't mean he needed a play by play of Dave Karofsky's sex life. Thankfully Dave eagerly began discussing his Masters program and the rest of the drive passed in easy conversation. Dave pulled into the community colleges visitor parking lot and directed Kurt towards the on-campus apartment-style housing. He sent Jerome a text to let him know they were there and the two waited outside his door for a moment before Jerome opened his door and let them in.

After a few minutes of transitional small talk about how school was going, Kurt's new job, and Liam's upcoming visit the conversation turned to Jerome's relationship with his boyfriend Anthony. After hearing all about the many wonderful qualities of Anthony the conversation turned educational. They discussed all of the basics, from what kind of lube to buy to soreness to the debate over tops, bottoms and versatile couples.

"…and the intimacy of sex is not to be underestimated as you'll never be more vulnerable and sex can be very messy both figuratively and literally," Kurt explained but Jerome wasn't really paying attention anymore. Perhaps they shouldn't have let him go on about how 'awesome' Anthony was for as long as they had. Dave rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers in front of Jerome's face to get his attention.

"Huh? What?" The younger man asked. Kurt pursed his lips.

"I was attempting to explain about the delicate nature of the sexual act regarding…" Dave sensed Jerome's attention shifting once again.

"What fancy pants here is trying to say is that anal sex can be messy as hell and that the term "shit dick" exists for a reason," he cut in abruptly. Well that certainly got Jerome's attention. Looking aghast his eyes snapped towards Dave.

"Was that really what you meant? Can that really happen?" Kurt cleared his throat and straightened his already near-perfect posture.

"In less crude terms, yes. That's exactly what I meant – which is why both partners have to take the intimacy of the act seriously, but should understand that there may be some unavoidable…messiness and not to take _that_ too seriously."

"Another good reason to use a condom every time, it helps make clean up a little easier, and it'll help you avoid a UTI or other infection. Has Anthony ever had sex with anyone before?" Jerome still looked bewildered by the 'shit dick' comment but answered after a long moment.

"Yeah but he got tested a month ago when our GSA offered them for free and it all came up negative. This might be too personal but do you guys ever not use condoms?" Dave looked at Kurt.

"You wanna take that one?"

"Fine. Yes, while Blaine and I use condoms the overwhelming majority of the time in our…intimate life, there are times when we haven't used them. We've also been together for a hundred years."

"When do you not use them?"

"Well, sometimes we run out and things…progress anyway, or well, we don't use them in the shower because they tend to slide off and defeat the purpose – but ninety nine percent of the time we still do use them."

"Same." Dave seconded with a shrug.

"Ultimately it's your decision as a couple whether or not you want to use them and in what situations – there's also no mandate you have to have anal sex at all. Whatever works for you, as long as you're informed, is what you should do. Some people will try to tell you that you need to do XYZ for it to count as sex or that not using condoms is more intimate or that you're a terrible person if you don't use condoms, but well…"

"Some people are idiots," Dave finished for him.

"Precisely."

"Have you and Anthony talked at all about the specifics of all this?" Kurt asked.

"Not really, which I guess is why I wanted to talk to you guys about it. We both wanna, you know, do it…but I never have and I dunno, what if I don't like it or I'm not good at it or whatever?" Jerome confessed.

"If you really hate something you don't have to do it. But if you're worried about being 'good' then you'll just have to get in plenty of practice wont you?" Kurt teased kindly. Jerome smiled and his features relaxed a little.

"Thanks for talking to me about this guys. I know this is only like the third time we've ever met Kurt."

"Don't mention it. We have to look out for each other."

"What's it feel like?" Jerome asked suddenly. Kurt and Dave both blush.

"Um, well – Jerome, that's going to be something you'll have to work out on your own I think, but, good. It feels good," answered Kurt.

"Yeah, er – good," agreed Dave softly.

"What exactly does 'rimming' entail?" Jerome inquired next. After Asking himself why he agreed to do this Kurt took a breath and launched into the most delicate explanation he could manage before Dave cut him off once more and explained to a flummoxed Jerome that it was basically licking someone's asshole and all of the various pro's and con's of that particular sexual act. The conversation continued.

"Yes, well I think we covered a lot for today. So – moral of the story: talk to Anthony about all of this, there's no right or wrong way to have sex as long as it's consensual and well informed, use plenty of water-based lube, remember to prep, and latex condoms are a good idea." Kurt said quickly before Jerome could ask any more specific questions about his and Blaine's sex life. Jerome thanked them once again for coming over, made plans with Dave to hang out after New Years and the two men bid the third farewell.

"Well, after that lovely experience I'm not sure I'm ever going to want to have sex again," Kurt confessed with a shutter once he and Dave were back in the car.

"Dude, totally. I mean, I'm glad we did that but I really didn't need to know about your guys' raspberry flavored lube." Kurt's blush was semi-permanent by now.

"It seemed relevant to mention at the time!" He turned up the radio before he died of embarrassment. In his mind he volunteered Blaine then and there to be the one to give 'The Talk' to their future children.

* * *

><p>The next day and a half passed in a blur as final preparations for Christmas at the Hudson-Hummel house were completed. Blaine's father called but it appeared as though Kurt's visit hadn't made much of a change in either of their attitudes. For the first time ever Kurt and Blaine woke up in the same bed on Christmas morning, sharing gentle kisses and hushed murmurs of celebration before Finn came bounding in at 6:30 in the morning shrieking about his mothers famous stuffed pecan French toast casserole and the piles of presents awaiting them downstairs.<p>

After opening presents and eating far too much casserole to be justified for any day of the year other than Christmas Blaine trudged upstairs to shower and change before journeying alone to his parent's house for Christmas Brunch with his parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle and two teenaged cousins. Kurt was reluctant to have Blaine go alone, but he himself was being carted off to visit his uncle Andy followed by some of Carole and Finns relatives so the two shared a lingering kiss before separating for the afternoon. Kurt arrived home exhausted but happy from playing with Carole's grand nieces and nephews while Blaine returned looking wearier than ever.

"I just want to go home, our home," Blaine confessed that evening over turkey sandwiches and reheated Laktes (courtesy of Rachel's newest attempts at cooking).

"I know, and we're flying out the day after tomorrow. I'll start my new job, you'll be officially ½ way done with Law school and we can start to make some concrete wedding plans other than just picking a date. My mom and dad have been on me about when we want to have our engagement party." Blaine sighed.

"I know, Carole asked me about that as well. I don't know why I was holding out…hope or whatever about my parents but seeing as that situation looks pretty set in stone we can have our party whenever."

"I was thinking we'd come to Lima for a few days in late May once you're done with school but before you start working wherever you're going to be this summer and we'd have it then. I'll have accrued a couple days off by then and we could make a long weekend out of it."

"That sounds like a plan. Weird having our friends in New York but your family here. Will Rachel and Finn and all of them even be able to go to our party if we have it here?"

"Hmm, I hadn't thought about that. We might have to do two, because my parents will shoot us if we don't' let them do something here at least."

"Okay. I'm really good with whatever you wanna do," Blaine assured with a yawn. Kurt pulled him a little closer into him on the couch.

"We can figure it out tomorrow. Before I got hired at Marc Jacobs I was thinking maybe we'd do it over your Spring Break but seeing as I'll be working now…*yawn* we might have to push it back to June like I said."

"June?" Carole cut in abruptly as she and Burt entered the living room. "That's so far off. I was still surprised you two are waiting all the way to the fall of 2018 to get married!" She complained. Blaine turned his head and smiled at her fondly.

"Our wedding is going to be fabulous," answered Kurt, "and planning such an occasion takes time. Plus Blaine still has another year and a half of Law School and I have some student loans to make a dent on before I can use part of my new paycheck to pay for our plans." Carole huffed.

"Well, be logical like that if you want to be." The four laughed.

"I think June will be good kid," Burt offered, "I know you'll probably wanna have a party with your friends in New York too but Carole and I really want to do something for you both because we're happy for you."

"Thank you," Blaine replied earnestly, "at least someone does."

"Still havin' problems with your mom?" Burt asked with a frown.

"Am I still gay?" Blaine asked bitterly. "Then yes, a bit."

"She's missing out," Kurt and Carole interjected at the same time.

"I'm just glad I've got you guys," said Blaine softly, his eyes closing. Kurt leaned forward and kissed the top of his head.

"You always will."

Kurt's parents offered him small not-quite smiles that clearly said they wished they had magic wands and could sort out all of Blaine's family issues, small not-quite smiles that Kurt returned as he felt similarly, before turning the light off in the living room and heading quietly upstairs. Kurt caressed Blaine's hair while slept for a long while, deep in thought. Just as he was about to fall asleep Finn and Rachel bounded in, startling them both as the glued-together couple tried to sit right on top of Kurt and Blaine in their eagerness to make out on the couch.

Yes, as much as he did enjoy being in Lima, Kurt would be glad to go home to New York – to his apartment and life with his husband to be. The New Year was just around the corner and the time for new beginnings and new plans felt ripe.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16 is going to be a two-parter and I already have loads of plot worked out for them so they should be nice long chapters. Also, a temporary reprieve from the Blaingst. <strong>

**Glee comes back on Tuesday and I am SOO EXCITED. So excited.**

**Thank you for reading! Please review if you are so inclined and I hopefully won't take such a friggin long time with the next update.**


	20. Chapter 16, Part 1

**Hi! I hope you all enjoyed the Season Premier of Glee and I Am Unicorn as much as I did! However upsetting Junior!Gate is I'm still stoked about the rest of the season. This chapter is decidedly fluffy however I do have a very mild kink warning for slight use of bondage. Very tame IMO but you've been warned regardless. Also this is a tad shorter than normal, but that's okay because it's only part one of at least one more part! **

**There's a song in this chapter that you *need* to listen to while it's being sung. Trust me, just do it. It'll be obvious when it's time to listen and the youtube link is (remove brackets) [http:/][www.] [youtube.][com/][watch?][v=d0vXxH1IEmQ] Shh, just come.**

**I'll say no more, thanks for reading. Any and all reviews are endlessly squee'd over and re-squee'd over when I'm feeling down.**

* * *

><p>April 4th, 2017<p>

"Crap! I forgot to take out the chicken from the freezer for dinner tonight," lamented Kurt to himself when he stepped into the kitchenette upon arriving home from work. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and sent Blaine a text asking him to pick some up fresh on his way home from class. A moment later his phone rang with Blaine calling.

"Hey, I was so focused on those suits we're working on for the summer campaign I totally spaced this morning even though it's my night to cook and –"he began before Blaine could even manage a 'hello.' However Blaine didn't hesitate in re-interrupting Kurt's rambling.

"It's cool Kurt. Actually, I'm out of class a little early and on my way home. I was wondering if maybe you'd wanna go out tonight instead? We haven't gone out in a while – and yeah I know it's expensive and all but – it'd be nice and it's a shame for us to deny ourselves the plethora of culinary options New York has to offer all the time," Blaine suggested. Well, Kurt didn't need much more convincing than that, especially when he sounded so cheerful and upbeat.

"That sounds splendid. Did you have anywhere in particular in mind?"

"Yeah, there's this new Americana place in Chelsea I've been wanting to try, if that's alright?"

"Sure."

"I'm almost home; meet you in the lobby in ten?"

"See you then. Love you."

"I love you too," Blaine finished happily and the receiver clicked with the end of the call. Kurt took the forgotten chicken out of the freezer and put it into the fridge for tomorrow night's dinner before flouncing off to the bathroom to fix his hair and straighten his bowtie. Ten minutes later he found himself just outside the lobby of their apartment building. The evening was mild and pleasant – Spring in New York in full effect.

"Hey you," greeted Blaine warmly, followed by a hug and a long kiss.

"Hi…" answered Kurt, a tad suspiciously. "Not that I mind – at all – but you seem awfully happy tonight." Blaine shrugged his shoulders.

"It's a beautiful evening, and I'm about to go to dinner with my gorgeous fiancé: what's not to be happy about?"

"You have a point," smiled Kurt, though his raised eyebrow prompted the other man to continue.

"I just got some perspective today," continued Blaine mysteriously as he laced his fingers with Kurt's right hand and lead them toward the subway line. "I'll tell you about it at dinner. First – how was your day?"

"Well, I had the most amazing meeting with Jean Luc – the photographer from _Purple_ magazine – and…" began Kurt with an excited smile. The rest of their trip was spent discussing Kurt's new project at work. He loved his not-so-new-anymore job as a junior designer for Marc Jacobs: four months in he was still relatively small-potatoes staff wise but he was designing his dream clothes, working alongside other talented designers and he saw bright things for himself and his future with the brand. That is of course before he'd eventually strike out on his own, of course.

Kurt liked the restaurant the moment they walked in; it was just the right mix of on-trend and classic. Their waiter sat them at a quiet table near the back of the restaurant and took their order. The conversation drifted to the two men's speculation regarding a very secretive, much buzzed-about new Broadway show coming to the Great White Way in the early summer. Rachel spent the majority of her time grilling Broadway contact she had about the possible subject matters (and most importantly – if the lead role would be one she could fill) but the subject matter had been kept tightly under wraps.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again – as long as it isn't another _From Justin to Kelly_ or heaven forbid _Dance of the Vampires_ I'm totally for it. There hasn't been anything new to see in a long, long time," commented Kurt between final bites of poached pear and goat cheese salad.

"Amen to that," agreed Blaine with a twinkling smile.

"So…I have been exceedingly patient –"Blaine cocked his eyebrow at the other man. "For me," Kurt corrected and the corners of Blaine's mouth perked up slightly, "but now that you've heard every last detail about my day, and we have exhausted all other current relevant topics of the day – tell me about yours…"Kurt prompted pointedly.

"Okay, okay!" Blaine laughed. "Do you know what today is?" Kurt's smile faltered as he flipped through his mental calendar. Not Blaine's birthday, not _his_ birthday, not their anniversary, not the anniversary of the first time they had sex (though that was fun to celebrate every year), not anything. Shit. _Shit_. Blaine giggled at his panicked eyes. He raised his hand to tell Kurt to relax.

"Exactly six months ago today you asked me to marry you." With that simple statement Kurt mentally smacked himself and melted at the same time. Blaine reached across the table to take Kurt's hand in his, which Kurt eagerly accepted. "I was in class and our professor was talking about the rest of the semester and the reading schedule so I took out my planner to write it all down and today's date just hit me, and it really made me think." He paused and shook his head slightly before continuing.

"Ever since we got engaged I've been so obsessed with trying to figure out why my mom pulled – well, not a one-eighty because it's not like she was ever super supportive – but why she's been so cold and upset about everything that I haven't let myself fully enjoy the amazing, astounding, completely awesomely overwhelming fact that you and I are getting _married_." Kurt gave Blaine's hand a squeeze and Blaine went on.

"So I'm letting myself be happy about it without any conditions. I want my parents support – I really do, but at the end of the day I can't force them and I'll be damned if I'm going to let worrying about them get in the way of how thrilled I am to be planning our wedding and our life together. I'm done trying to talk to them about it – and as much as I appreciate everything you've been doing – as far as I'm concerned the conversations over. They might never come around – but I have school, and really good friends and your family and most of importantly I have you."

"Always," assured Kurt. Blaine smiled, brought Kurt's hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles.

"Right back at ya babe," seconded Blaine smoothly, "so now I think it's time for us to have some fun."

Kurt's eyes widened as he watched Blaine abruptly let go of his hand and stood up from the table. With a tilt of his head he directed Kurt to follow him through a dark hallway and into the bar section of the restaurant. Blaine handed the bartender what looked like a twenty dollar bill, the barkeep nodded and flicked on a light switch. A small stage with a microphone stand and electric guitar were illuminated under a single stage light. With a classic Warblers wink Blaine directed Kurt to sit at a small table near the stage, the attention of the other bar patrons perking up in turn as Blaine practically skipped onto the stage.

"Oh my god," breathed Kurt when he finally realized Blaine had planned this whole thing, although he wasn't really sure how he'd had time. Blaine adjusted the guitar for a second and clicked on a stereo for the other background instruments. He grinned over at Kurt.

"Evening," he greeted the crowed brightly. "My name's Blaine and Bruno said it was cool if I sang a little something tonight. So here goes – Kurt, don't kill me baby okay?" The stereo started to play audibly and Blaine began to sing.

_A little less conversation, a little more action please__  
><em>_All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me__  
><em>_A little more bite and a little less bark__  
><em>_A little less fight and a little more spark__  
><em>_Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me__  
><em>_Satisfy me baby_

Kurt clapped his hands over his mouth as Blaine's hips swiveled in time with the music and it appeared his fiancé was definitely channeling the ghost of Elvis in that moment. It was amazing how a song nearly fifty years old managed to still sound so….suggestive. He swallowed heavily.

_Baby close your eyes and listen to the music__  
><em>_Drifting through a summer breeze__  
><em>_Its a groovy night and I can show you how to use it__  
><em>_Come along with me and put your mind at ease_

_A little less conversation, a little more action please__  
><em>_All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me__  
><em>_A little more bite and a little less bark__  
><em>_A little less fight and a little more spark__  
><em>_Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me__  
><em>_Satisfy me baby_

Ever the showman, Blaine had been working the room's patrons throughout the duration of the song but now turned to stare directly at Kurt. His focus intoxicating as Kurt stared right back. This was sexy, this was fan-fucking-tastic and though part of him never wanted the song to end, Kurt couldn't wait to get his boy out of here and home.

_Come on baby I'm tired of talking__  
><em>_Grab your coat and let's start walking__  
><em>_Come on, come on__  
><em>_Come on, come on__  
><em>_Come on, come on__  
><em>_Don't procrastinate, don't articulate__  
><em>_Boy it's getting late, gettin' upset waitin' around_

_A little less conversation, a little more action please__  
><em>_All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me__  
><em>_A little more bite and a little less bark__  
><em>_A little less fight and a little more spark__  
><em>_Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me__  
><em>_Satisfy me baby_

The bars patrons clapped enthusiastically as Blaine finished. Beaming, he shrugged off the guitar and dipped his head in appreciation. The scrape of Kurt's chair couldn't be heard over the din of the audience but when Blaine looked up again there was Kurt two inches away from him.

"You are crazy," he chastised, "but good god I love you." Before Blaine could reply Kurt kissed him fiercely – earning them a round of whoops at cat-calls from the audience. When he came up for air Kurt grabbed his hand and tugged him insistently off the stage.

"Um, we're just gonna…" began a flush-faced Blaine, "Yeah, um –ok! Thanks! Bye!" he called to the laughing crowed while Kurt yanked him by the hand out of the restaurant. The ride home passed in a haze and before they knew it they found themselves home and in their bedroom, knocking into furniture due to their refusal to part.

"So I guess you liked it huh?" Blaine asked with a smirk. "The bartender – Bruno, he's Ambers cousin and I was texting her in class anyway so when you texted me about dinner I –"

"Blaine! As life-changing as that information is, honeybee – a little _less_ conversation, a little more _action_ please," Kurt pleaded. Blaine snorted at him but nodded and pressed his lips to the other man, his fingertips dipping into the waistband of Kurt's pants to unfasten his suspenders. They came off with faint clicks and Blaine began working on the buttons of his fiancé's shirt. Kurt toed off his shoes and shrugged off the shirt once Blaine finally got him free of the buttons. Not wanting an uneven playing field, Kurt quickly rid Blaine of his own shirt.

Shirtless, the two began kissing once more. Blaine reveled in the soft skin of Kurt's arms around him, breathed in the scent of Kurt's cologne-of-the month: sandalwood and vanilla with a hint of honeysuckle for spring. Underneath it all was the consistent undertone of pure _Kurt_. Kurt's tongue ran along the seam of Blaine's lips, he parted them immediately to invite Kurt inside. He groaned into the kiss as Kurt tongue darted inside, massaging his own and dipping back and forth slightly, mimicking exactly what Blaine wanted. Blaine pulled the other mans lower lip into his mouth when Kurt began to pull away and nibbled on it.

"Rmph," groaned Kurt in response. "I want you so much." Blaine slid his hand down Kurt's chest, over the hem of his pants and cupped his bulge.

"I want you too, "he panted hungrily, he rubbed the palm of his hand against Kurt's arousal through his pants, Kurt let in a sharp intake of breath in reply. "I want you to fuck me."

"I – I think that could be – ah – arranged," agreed Kurt through half-lidded eyes, his hands flinging forward to fumble with the buttons of Blaine's dark jeans. One button, two buttons, three buttons – fuck whoever came up with button fly jeans they were impossible – four buttons finally, down. Down and off of Blaine's hips Kurt pulled his jeans and Blaine kicked them off once they reached his ankles. He encircled Kurt's waist with his own hands and pushed Kurt's pants down in one fell swoop. The two clambered onto their bed, legs and arms tangling together.

They rolled back and forth kissing for a few minutes before settling side by side facing each other. Kurt ran his hand down Blaine's chest and over the hem of his boxer-briefs, wrapping his hand lightly around half-hard Blaine.

"Kurt, can you – I want," Blaine began brokenly. Kurt stopped sucking on the pulse point just to the side of his fiancés Adam's apple to look up at Blaine.

"Hmm?" Blaine chewed his lip and avoided Kurt's eye.

"Can we…? I just, _fuck_ Kurt –"He stammered, swallowing heavily. Kurt removed his hand, which had been rubbing the head of Blaine's cock through his boxers and let it rest on Blaine's thigh.

"Blaine, honey, I don't know what you want…" Blaine made a noncommittal motion of with his hands, his eyes pleading and his face flushed. "Blaine you're blushing. You just asked me to fuck you, and that was fine, but _now_ you're blushing?" Blaine whimpered and Kurt sighed, wondering what Blaine wanted that he was still embarrassed about after all this time. Blaine threw his hands behind his head, his wrists hitting the headboard behind their mountain of pillows and he jerked his head to the side. Oh.

"_Oh_." Blaine nodded sheepishly. Kurt smiled reassuringly at him and leaned forward to kiss the top of his head. "I hope you know you're being silly. All you had to do was ask." Blaine shrugged his shoulders at him. Kurt scooted off the bed and rolled his eyes. "Sweetheart when I asked for less conversation that's not what I meant." Blaine giggled at him from the bed. Kurt walked the short distance to their expansive closet, well aware of Blaine's eyes on his ass the whole trip. He shuffled around in the bottom of their box of unmentionables until he found what he was looking for and made his way back onto the bed.

"Well, red _is_ your color," Kurt mused with a smirk. He clambered back onto the bed and straddled the other man, peppering Blaine's chest with kisses as he encircled Blaine's hands with his own and tugged them up against the headboard of their bed. Blaine's heartbeat pounded in his chest hard enough for Kurt to feel against his abdomen. The material of the thin red scarf was stable enough that they could use it again and again without it breaking, but offered enough give to not cut off Blaine's circulation or leave any harsher marks than a quickly fading light pink. They didn't do this very often, which is probably why Blaine still got rather shy about asking for it. Kurt secured the material around each of Blaine's wrists and tied him to the headboard.

"How's that?" Blaine tugged his arms; he could move a few centimeters but not much.

"Perfect," he praised, raising his head for a kiss. Kurt happily accepted, kissing him chastely on the lips once before pulling back.

"I love you. I love your arms," he began, moving to lavish each of Blaine's forearms with delicate barely-there kisses. Blaine groaned. "And I love your elbows," Kurt continued before running his tongue lightly over the crook of Blaine's elbows. He continued the treatment to Blaine's shoulders and chest, pausing every so often to nip or suck lightly. Careful attention was paid to each of Blaine's nipples until Blaine was wriggling wantonly under him, groaning his name and various curse words.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuck," Blaine mumbled.

"We're getting there," Kurt teased, shifting lower to tongue at Blaine's belly button and run his nails lightly across the trail of hair leading into Blaine's underwear. The muscles of Blaine's stomach clenched in anticipation. "Alright, let's get these off," Kurt said to himself more than anything as his fingers dipped into the hem of Blaine's dark red boxer-briefs. He lifted himself up a few inches higher than Blaine and pulled them down to mid-thigh. Blaine's legs kicked out from underneath him, removing them completely. Kurt shifted so he wasn't straddling the other man anymore and took the moment to place two pillows under Blaine's hips to adjust his angle slightly.

He pushed Blaine's knees apart and settled in between his legs. Blaine lifted his knees further until his feet were flat against the soft sheets of their bed. Kurt took a moment to admire his lover, spread out and waiting for him. His own cock strained against his underwear, eager to be inside Blaine.

"I love you."

"I love you too, please – fuck! Touch me," Blaine begged, his hips jerking slightly.

"So demanding tonight," chastised Kurt lovingly. He ran his fingertips lightly up the underside of Blaine's thighs, making him tremble and pout at Kurt. Kurt leaned forward, kissed the head of Blaine cock – his tongue darting out to run against the opening before pulling away and reaching over Blaine's bent leg to rummage out a condom and their lube from the nightstand.

"Tease," whined Blaine, his eyes closed. Kurt froze and turned to look at Blaine, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Am I? And just what are you going to do about it?"

"I am going to spank you _so_ hard," growled Blaine.

"Says the man who's currently tied to the headboard of a bed," deadpanned Kurt.

"Later!" Corrected Blaine petulantly.

"Promise?" Prompted Kurt. Blaine stared at him hungrily.

"Guaranteed." Blaine whined weakly again and Kurt finally took pity on him, wrapping one hand around the base of his shaft and the other cupping his balls to massage them lightly. "Ungh, yeah, yes," moaned Blaine in appreciation as he felt Kurt's lips wrap around the head of his cock.

Kurt pumped him in time with the bob of his head as he took Blaine into his mouth. Blaine struggled slightly against his tied hands. He loved and hated this – somehow the confinement amplified everything in the best way possible, but it also made it impossible for him to touch Kurt, which he really wanted to do right now. He settled on straining his neck forward so he could watch his cock disappear between Kurt's lips over and over again as Kurt swallowed around him, his tongue wet and rough against the underside of his cock.

Kurt lifted his head and released Blaine from his mouth, moving on to lick and suck and nibble at Blaine's inner thighs before running his tongue along Blaine's balls and perineum. His cock was almost painfully now as his senses drank in all of what made Blaine _Blaine_, the feel of his skin, the heady scent of his body, he needed to fuck Blaine. Now. He roughly pushed his underwear down and off his legs for it to get lost in their mess of blankets and sheets.

He took up the abandoned condom and unwrapped it, rolling it onto his length. The lube cap popped open and he slicked his hand with it before giving himself a few quick strokes. Blaine watched him do it, licking his lips and mumbling 'finally.' Kurt squeezed a few more droplets of lube onto his fingertips and shifted to put his head against Blaine's chest, his hand moving between Blaine's legs and pushing lightly against his hole. Thump, thump, thump beat Blaine's chest – loud in Kurt's ear as he swirled his finger around the rim a few times and pushed in. He made quick work of prepping Blaine and lined himself up at Blaine's entrance.

He used all his self control to hold himself with just the head of his cock leaning heavily against Blaine's hole but not pushing in.

"Fuck, are you trying to kill me?" Whimpered Blaine.

"What a way to die though, hmm?" quipped Kurt. He leaned forward to kiss the other man, a long, deep passionate kiss that distracted Blaine until Kurt snapped his hips forward and pushed into him, sinking in to completion. "Oh my god you feel good," Kurt moaned, Blaine tried to respond, something witty about how Kurt could have figured that out five minutes ago if he hadn't insisted on torturing Blaine but all that came out were a few low throaty groans. Kurt pulled back out of Blaine's heat before thrusting back in and quickly forming a steady rhythm.

Blaine wanted to hold Kurt to him, to run his hands over Kurt's back, to squeeze his ass and pull him in – but, and this was the reason why he loved that damned red scarf so much, all he could do was lie there and let Kurt fuck him - which was a glorious thing in and of itself. Kurt changed his angle slightly and aimed a perfect thrust straight to Blaine's prostate.

"Yes!" Exclaimed Blaine, "do that again, please, please, plea –"Blaine was on the third please when Kurt hurried to fulfill his request. The headboard creaked from the strain and Blaine's thighs screamed in protest from keeping his legs so far apart for so long so he moved to wrap his angles around Kurt's lower back. Kurt couldn't thrust as fully as he could before with Blaine clinging to him but it didn't matter; he rocked harder into Blaine in shallow, quick snaps. Kurt's hand snaked between them and wrapped around his cock, slick strokes that twisted around the head of his cock.

"I love you, I love you," breathed Kurt heavily. Blaine pushed his head forward to meet Kurt in a messy kiss.

"I love you too and I – I," Blaine came before he could finish his sentence, his come warm against Kurt's belly. He rode out his orgasm with Kurt thrusting perfectly against his prostate and the tremors of his body sent his fiancé over the edge, climaxing with a wail of Blaine's name. After a moment to catch his breath Kurt slipped out of Blaine's hole and removed the condom, tossing it and the wrapper into their trash can. He straddled Blaine once more and untied his wrists. Blaine grinned at him as the bind came off and he jerked his arms forward, securing Kurt's hips in his strong arms before flipping them over to hover above Kurt.

Using the last vestige of energy he had left he shifted down Kurt's body and lapped up the come from Kurt's stomach. Kurt groaned at the sight but the sensation tickled and he shrieked with laughter for a moment before Blaine's mouth was suddenly on his, capturing him in a kiss. They kissed lazily for a few minutes before Blaine collapsed next to Kurt, sighing grandly.

"Well, are you _satisfied_?" Kurt asked smugly. Blaine laughed, dragging his fingers lovingly down the side of Kurt's cheek.

"And I thought I was the cheesy one…but yes – very." His other hand found Kurt's and he slid the two together. Giggling, the two lay side by side as their breathing returned to normal. After a few minutes Blaine rolled onto his side and looked at Kurt, pouting.

"What is it?" Blaine leaned in and kissed him tenderly.

"I know it's silly but – you're leaving! In less than a week. I'm going to miss you," he confessed.

"Blaine!" Scolded Kurt half heartedly, "It's only for three weeks." He listened to the ever-present hum of New York City outside the window. "Although it is the longest time we've been separated since I moved here. I'm going to miss you too baby."

"I am excited for you though – I mean, a week in Milan and two weeks in Paris? You're going to have a blast."

"When I'm not working," reminded Kurt. His boss had told him about the trip two weeks ago. Kurt had never been gladder Blaine made him get a passport (before surprising him a few months later with the idea for a Warblers Reunion-esque Spring Break trip to Toronto) sophomore year.

"Oh come off it," scoffed Blaine, "even when you're working you're going to be having a blast soaking up all the culture and seeing all the new innovative designs and all that." Kurt's mouth twitched.

"Yeah, I think so too," he mused happily. "I _am_ going to miss you – but thanks to the wonders of modern technology – I think we'll find a way to survive." Blaine's eyebrows shot up at the sudden welcomed possibilities that opened up. Kurt caught his eye and returned his silly grin.

"Bring me back some Gelato from Italy?" Asked Blaine hopefully.

"That was random. I thought for sure you were going to say something about Skype sex, or thank me for my foresight in getting a private hotel room."

"Not everything is about sex Kurt," Blaine teased. Kurt stuck his tongue out at the other man. "Although those are two wonderful points. I just really want some Gelato from Italy, okay?"

"Yeah I'm sure it'll be really delicious after I cart it around Paris for two weeks and then back over an international flight," said Kurt sarcastically. "Yu-mmy" Blaine poked him lightly in the chest.

"Don't make fun of me. I'll get you one of those cold totes or something. It could work."

"Did I mention you're crazy?"

"Yes, but you love me."

"I do."

"I love you too. Night, Kurt."

"Night, Blaine."

* * *

><p>Two days later found Kurt and Finn hanging out at Finn and Rachel's little apartment in Soho. The past several months had been good for Finn. He'd been promoted from his job at the sports magazine from being an assistant in the communications department to being an associate which meant he was actively getting to speak with athlete's and promote the brand – a very good thing not only for Finn's self esteem but also for his and Rachel's finances as she was currently working a soul-sucking job as a telemarketer part-time in between her many auditions. Despite all the stalling of Rachel's career things were going well between them for the most part and Finn seemed to have finally found his stride in New York City.<p>

Blaine had an evening class on Thursday nights and Rachel had to work so the two brothers usually met up for dinner and hung out each week, to catch up and keep each other company. Tonight they'd gone to a deli and back to Rachel and Finn's to eat and watch the first movie of the Bourne Trilogy. It had been easy enough to find a mutually acceptable film – the plot was agreeable to both their tastes, it had enough explosions and car chases for Finn and enough cute Matt Damon for Kurt.

"You're leaving on Saturday right?" Finn asked as the credits began to play and he got up to turn the movie off.

"Mhmm," answered Kurt. "I'm leaving Saturday night at 10pm and getting to Milan at 11am their time, it's going to be a long night I'm glad I have Sunday to recover."

"11!" Finn exclaimed, counting out the hours on his fingers, "that's like 13 hours, why's the flight so long?"

"Well, the flights actually only about 8 hours but there's a five hour time difference there."

"So what time will it be here when you get there?"

"6am." Finn's brow furrowed as he tried to make it work in his head. "Time zones are weird."

"Yeah," Kurt answered, if only to be agreeable. "Why are you so worried about the time?"

"I'm trying to figure out when we can Skype and stuff." Kurt smiled.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out, and I'm only going for three weeks."

"Bring me back something cool, okay?"

"You, Blaine, what do I look like a mule?" Kurt complained, though he already had souvenir ideas for his laundry list of friends and family worked out in his head. Finn gave him a rueful smile he'd learned from Kurt himself.

"Do you think you'll get to see the Great Wall?" Finn asked earnestly.

"No, that's China…"

"No, no, it's like this wall that can't stand up any more that's made out of pizza or something. It's definitely in Italy. I want you take a picture of it."

"The Leaning Tower of Pisa?"

"That's the one! The Great Leaning Tower Wall of Pizza," Finn agreed. Kurt blinked a few times but before he could even think about tackling _that_ one the front door to the apartment burst open and a wild-eyed Rachel Berry stood in the doorway, huffing and puffing like she'd run all the way home.

"Rach…?" Finn asked hesitantly. Rachel looked at him, smiled and promptly burst into tears. Flummoxed and concerned, Finn rushed over to her. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Rachel questioned as the tears ran down her face, "Oh no, Finn, no darling these are happy tears!" She wiped her eyes on Finn's sleeve and glanced up adoringly at him. "It's Barbra."

"Barbra? _The_ Barbra? What about her? Did you meet her? What happened?" Kurt demanded immediately. Rachel shook her head but her slightly dazed smile didn't falter.

"The new Broadway show that's coming in a few months – it's Barbra. Her life story! They just announced, and _she_ is going to be a producer. Barbra." Rachel explained, her tone hushed and reverent.

"Oh my goodness…and I take it they're looking for –" Kurt began but Rachel quickly cut him off.

"They're looking for their lead! The lead to play Barbra! I _**have**_ to get that part. I just have to! I will absolutely die if I don't!" She exclaimed, suddenly looking stricken at the very idea.

"You will," reassured Finn. "No one could be better than you." Rachel beamed.

"Auditions are in a week and a half. There's so much to do! I can't believe it! What will I pick to sing for my audition? Oh my god, auditioning in front of Barbra Streisand. Oh, hold me closer Finn I'm shaking." Finn exchanged a concerned glance with his brother. Kurt could only imagine how Rachel would handle the blow if she did _not_ land this, her dream role.

The three spent the next hour (Well, mostly Kurt and Rachel with Finn chiming in with a 'yeah that sounds awesome' when Rachel looked to him for feedback) pouring over the audition requirements and attempting to choose possible songs for Rachel's audition. Kurt felt nearly excited as Rachel over the prospect and just a twinge jealous. He then remembered he was being flown out to Europe in a few short days at his dream job and felt better. Rachel was most displeased to learn Kurt would be out of town for her audition but after a few moments of suckling recovered and rationalized that she could also call Mercedes for help if necessary as well – after all Mercedes had scored several singing jobs for commercials in a row over the past few months, she was doing something right.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you've got everything?" Blaine asked as they piled the last of Kurt's suitcases into the taxi. Kurt glared at him exasperatedly.<p>

"Yes, _dad_, I'm pretty sure judging by the 11 suitcases I have that if I bring anything else it'll be you because that's all that's left." Blaine pursed his lips at the other man.

"I can't believe you just called me dad."

"If the shoe fits," Kurt teased, "and when have I ever been known to under pack?" Blaine tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Never, it's just there's all those different plugs and outlets over there and –"

"I'll be fine," Kurt insisted, hushing the other man with a kiss.

"I know."

"You two coming or what?" The nasally voice of their cabbie asked, sounding annoyed.

"We'll be right it," replied Kurt. The two squeezed into the cab (not all of Kurt's luggage fit into the trunk) and headed towards the airport.

Kurt felt his heart rate start to increase as soon as the airport came into view. He was _so_ excited for this trip. As much as he love love loved New York City he always wanted to visit Europe and now he was getting his chance. Yes he'd miss Blaine and wish he was there with him – but he intended on making the most of every second of his trip to Milan and Paris rather than be isolated and lonely without Blaine. Even more thrilling was the prospect of meeting some of the top international designers in the industry and that a few designs he'd helped dream up were being featured as part of the three fashion shows he and his boss were scheduled to attend. His toes curled in his shoes and he bit his lip in nervous excitement.

"I'm really proud of you," said Blaine fondly just before he and Kurt had to part ways at security. "You're going to do great." Kurt pulled him into a tight hug.

"I love you. Thank you. I'm going to miss you so much."

"I love you too, but you better go: I can't miss you if you don't leave!" Blaine joked. Kurt offered him a withering look before pulling him into a kiss, putting all his love behind it as it was all they'd have to go on for three weeks.

"Alright, I'm going! I'm really going!" Squealed Kurt.

"Let me know when you get there."

"I will honeybee. Be prepared I'm going to be emailing you a zillion pictures every day."

"You better. Someday we'll go to Europe together," Blaine stated, reading Kurt's mind. Kurt pulled him in for one last lingering kiss and gave him a squeeze before heading into the security station. Blaine smiled at Kurt's retreating back and turned around; seeking out any other taxi other than the one they'd arrived in as the driver had talked about nothing but her rotten no-good ex-husband the entire trip.

Kurt tried to sleep on the plane but he was too excited – he felt all of the adrenaline rushing through his veins just the same as his first flight out to New York City at the end of his junior year of high school. The pilot announced their descent and Kurt kept his eyes peeled out the window trying to soak up any and all visuals from Milan he could see from the tiny space. Adventure was certainly calling his name.

* * *

><p><strong>Things with Blaine's parents aren't finished – though they are evolving, but Blaine needed a break. So did I. Maybe you did too. Plus even in the midst of angsty-times life plows on! Thank goodness for that. Lastly, it's about 4AM right now so any and all errors are mine alone and I will correct them tomorrow when I get home from work.<strong>

**Keep an eye out for part 2 of chapter 16!**

**Reviews are the loveliest thing ever. Seriously. **


	21. Chapter 16, Part 2

**I could bore you all with tales of my life and why this chapter is so very, very late, but…that would just take away from the Klaine and who wants that? Nobody. So here we go, Chapter 16, Part 2.**

**Thank you to darling beta for her **_**wonderful**_** job translating some things in both Italian and French. (French in Part 3)**

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><p>April 9th, 2017<p>

Though he was thoroughly exhausted, Kurt's heartbeat whirred like that of a hummingbird the moment he stepped off the plane in Milan, Italy. This was the farthest he'd ever been from home, and his first time ever really traveling mostly by himself. It was hard to wrap his mind around the fact that Blaine, Finn and everyone else in New York City were over 4,000 miles away and his parents back home in Lima were closer to 5,000. That fact was slightly nerve-wracking, but mostly he was thrilled to have this opportunity, to be here and soak up everything he could about the culture, the history and – of course, the fashion. This was a work trip after all.

Manuel, who was in charge of setting up all travel arrangements for staff at Marc Jacobs, had done an excellent job of timing Kurt's taxi and with the help of the itinerary Manuel had emailed him before he left Kurt had no trouble directing the taxi to his hotel, checking in and finding his room. With tired eyes and a serious case of sensory-overload he typed out a short mass email to Blaine and his family to let them know he made it there okay and fell face-first onto the bed and asleep before he could even really appreciate how nice (if small) his hotel room was or the excellent view of Milan's architecture from his hotel window.

Luckily for Kurt he'd set the alarm on his phone so he woke up a couple of hours later and well before he was scheduled to meet with some other designers at a café for dinner in downtown Milan. Still feeling rather gross from the trans-Atlantic trip, he quickly unpacked his things and carried his toiletry bag with him into the bathroom to take a shower. The shower was tiny, perhaps it was good Blaine wasn't with him as they'd have been sorely put out that they couldn't both fit in here like they could at home, but the water pressure was nice and Kurt felt ten times better once he'd finished and gone through his moisturizing routine. His phone blinked at him from the dresser and he opened it up to find three new emails.

**Carole H. to me:**

Hi sweetheart! Your dad and I were so glad to get your email that you'd made it there okay and I'm glad your phone is letting you send email and back and forth without any problems. Burt's trying to figure out that Skype thing you mentioned (Finn tried to explain over the phone – but….that didn't go so hot either), so hopefully we'll be able to talk to you soon. Otherwise have a wonderful time! Take lots of pictures!

Love you,

Carole and Dad

**Finn H. to me:**

That's awesome dude! I wanna come next time. Esp. since Rachel is driving me crazy(don't tell her I said that) with her freaking out over the Barbra Streisand audition. Can't wait till Friday when it's finally over with. I'm headin out to the gym with some of the guys from work so I'll talk to you later.

Love ya bro,

Finn

**Blaine A. to me:**

Morning/Afternoon baby.

I'm so glad you got their without any problems. It's always weird sleeping without you in our bed. Anyway I know you're busy and probably off to schmooze and wow every designer in Italy so I'll keep this short: I miss you already, I love you, have an amazing time, let me know when we can Skype, etc.

Also – take lots of pictures! I wanna see your gorgeous face at _all_ the best landmarks Milan has to offer.

I'll just be here….studying…until you come back. Joy.

Okay, bye.

Love you.

Blaine

Kurt grinned down at his phone before stowing it in his new teal Burberry canvas weekend bag along with his camera, notepad and other necessities and headed out of his hotel room. He would be busy working the grand majority of the week and had decided to make the most of the few free hours of exploration time he'd been able to snag with his early flight.

Though he had every intention of window shopping (and, probably, actually shopping) along the Quadrilatero D'Oro, Kurt's first stop was the Navigli neighborhood. This trip was to network with other design houses, make plans for the fall line, and Kurt hoped to gain insight and inspiration within the artsy neighborhood. Also, he was hoping to find a little inspiration to help him with his early wedding plans. The streets bustled with activity as late afternoon shoppers filled the streets and flitted off to their next destination. Glad he'd packed a 24 pack of batteries for his digital camera Kurt snapped picture after picture of everything in his line of sight – freaking out several passersby as he nearly ran into both building and human in his zeal to capture every detail.

"See anything you like?" A voice asked Kurt. A _familiar_ voice that ripped his thoughts about how stunning the mixture of colors in store windows vase display were right out of his head and made his breath catch sharply in his throat. The muscles in his back and neck tensed involuntarily when the voice spoke again. "Personally I think it's a bit over the top, but perhaps it is your…um, _style_ Kurt…" Kurt gripped the strap of his bag and slowly turned around. A tall thin man with thinning hair and a simpering smile stood a foot behind him, flanked by two even taller platinum blonde men who didn't look a day over eighteen.

"Zeb," he acknowledged curtly.

"Buona sera [good evening] Kurt, lovely day to be in Milan wouldn't you say?" Kurt raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"What are you doing here?" The older man laughed lightly. The two young men behind him laughed as well but seemed more interested in whispering to each other in a language Kurt couldn't understand then paying attention to Zeb and Kurt.

"What am I doing here? Of course I'm in Milan for the show. The better question is what are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm representing Marc Jacobs," Kurt explained, shifting himself to the right and out from under his former supervisors stare. "You're in the show? I didn't see anything with Marque's name on it in the roster…" Zeb pursed his lips at him.

"Yes, well I'm sure as a _junior_ designer you know _everything_ but it just may be there are a few surprises planned for the show."

"Right," said Kurt skeptically. Kurt hadn't heard much about the designer since he took off last Spring, almost a year ago now to hide out in Budapest. In the fall he'd heard through the fashion grapevine that the designer was working with some other small-name designers in LA but that'd been barely a blip on the fashion radar. Of course the scumbag had to run into Kurt of all people on his first day in the city. Zeb grinned smugly at him and finally pulled the blonde boys forward.

"Oh where are my manners? Kurt these are my…well," he chuckled in the back of his throat, "my companions Otto and August." Upon hearing their names the two looked over expectantly at Zeb and smiled briefly at Kurt. Kurt offered them a terse smile and a short hello. The two didn't respond other than to look vaguely amused and appraisingly at Kurt. Kurt tried again in Italian but still the two didn't respond. Zeb laughed again, "Right of course, they don't understand a word of _anything_ unless it's in Finnish," he paused, looking rather pleased with himself and the man on the right, August maybe, let Zeb pull him close and snake his arm around his torso. "Somehow we all make it work."

"Well as fascinating as that is," Kurt deadpanned, "I really must be going."

"Lovely to see you Kurt!" Zeb finally picked up on Kurt's half perplexed, half disgusted face. "Oh, no hard feelings – many a designer better than you has cracked under the pressure when breaking into the industry. I wholeheartedly wish to leave all of that…unpleasantness from last spring in the past where it belongs."

"Fuck you." Kurt turned on his heel and marched off without another word, giving his shoulders a shake to try to shrug off the lingering film-y feeling left by his encounter with Zeb. He really hadn't expected to see him here of all places. Hopefully he'd just been messing with Kurt and wouldn't be at the show later that week.

* * *

><p>Kurt looked at the bedside clock in his hotel room as he blinked himself awake – it was 6am Italian time which meant it was just after midnight back in New York. It was unlikely Blaine would still be up, but he missed the other man terribly at the moment and didn't have anywhere to be until 10, so it was worth a try. A few clicks later the computer whizzed to life and his Skype application opened automatically.<p>

"Hey you," Kurt grinned into the computer screen.

"Good morning," answered Blaine.

"Don't you mean goodnight? I can't believe you're still up. Have you been studying all this time?"

"I have finals coming up, of course I'm still studying," Blaine said, his tone slightly harsher than he meant it. "Sorry – I'm sick of studying."

"Well let's talk about something other than the many virtues of tort reform hmm?" Blaine smiled.

"I have an idea. Hold on." There was some shuffling and Blaine moved out of the shot, leaving the camera panning to the messy sheets of their unmade bed. After a few moments he returned, carrying a long black metal –

"Your keyboard?" Kurt questioned, "You haven't played on that thing in ages."

"I know. I missed it – and I miss you. Sing with me?"

"Of course," agreed Kurt immediately. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you'll figure it out right away."

"Okay," breathed Kurt happily. Blaine flicked the switch on the electric keyboard and the lights of the machine blinked on. He grinned at Kurt through the computer and turned up the volume slightly before settling his fingers against the keys. Blaine was right – he only had to go through a couple notes before Kurt guessed the song. Blaine's gentle singing reverberated through the speakers of the computer.

_The stars lean down to kiss you  
>And I lie awake and miss you<br>Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere  
>Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly<br>But I'll miss your arms around me  
>I'd send a postcard to you, dear<br>Cause I wish you were here_

He paused his singing and nodded slightly at Kurt for him to sing the next verse.

_I'll watch the night turn light blue  
>But it's not the same without you<br>Because it takes two to whisper quietly  
>The silence isn't so bad<br>Till I look at my hands and feel sad  
>Cause the spaces between my fingers<br>Are right where yours fit perfectly_

Kurt held his hand up against the computer screen for emphasis and Blaine matched the gesture for a moment before going back to playing and starting the next few lines.

_I'll find repose in new ways  
>Though I haven't slept in two days<br>Cause cold nostalgia chills me to the bone  
>But drenched in vanilla twilight<br>I'll sit on the front porch all night  
>Waist deep in thought because when<br>I think of you I don't feel so alone_

One thing Kurt always loved about his relationship with Blaine was how nicely their voices meshed together. From the first time they'd ever sung together until now, it was definitely an icing on the cake feature of their relationship. Blaine seemed to know just what Kurt was thinking and joined in, his voice mingling with Kurt's. His heart swelled and Kurt had to blink a few times to keep the tears out of his eyes. God he missed Blaine.

_I don't feel so alone  
>I don't feel so alone<em>

_As many times as I blink  
>I'll think of you tonight<em>

_I'll think of you tonight_

_When violet eyes get brighter  
>And heavy wings grow lighter<br>I'll taste the sky and feel alive again  
>and I'll forget the world that I knew<br>But I swear I won't forget you  
>Oh if my voice could reach back through the past<br>I'd whisper in your ear  
>Oh darling I wish you were here<em>

Kurt bit his lip and shook his head.

"That, was a terrible idea," he scolded, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Now I just miss you more."

"I miss you too Kurt. Obviously I'm absurdly proud of you and thrilled you're getting to experience all of this – but I'm not gonna lie I'll be thrilled when you're back here in my arms." Blaine sniffed as well.

"We're saps," observed Kurt, a watery giggle escaping his throat.

"I don't mind." Blaine turned off the keyboard and disappeared for a moment to stow the keyboard under the bed. Normally Kurt would have scolded him for not putting it back where it belonged right away, but he was feeling rather warm hearted and generous at the moment, thank you very much.

"What are you up to today anyway?" Blaine asked as he reappeared. Kurt practically squealed in excitement.

"I'm meeting with some designers from Haus of Gaga for brunch at ten! _She_ isn't going to be there unfortunately – but I'm still delighted to have the chance to meet with people from her crew."

"That's awesome."

"They are just the most innovative, creative, out there but in the best way –"Kurt enthused; he quickly filled in Blaine about his hopes for the meeting as well as the recognizant work he had been assigned to do on the Haus for Marc Jacobs to see if the brand would be interested with working with theirs for next Winters campaign. Blaine listened intently, loving Kurt's passion for his work. Kurt finally talked himself out after several minutes. "So, uh, that's today…" he finished slightly sheepishly.

"Sounds like an incredible day baby."

"I hope so," agreed Kurt. He crooked and eyebrow at the other man and grinned mischievously. "Today's already had a lovely start – singing with you and seeing your gorgeous face, but do you know what would make it better?"

"What?" Blaine prompted, his eyes flashing.

"How tired are you?"

"Not too tired," Blaine replied readily.

"Well, my day would really have a perfect start if I could see a little more of you."

"Oh?" Kurt grinned wryly at Blaine's ability to make his 'oh' sound so innocent when the other man was already unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt.

"Mhmm. Strip, Anderson." Blaine raised his eyebrows at him and licked his lips.

"If you insist…"

"I do, I do insist," Kurt flirted back. Blaine adjusted the angle of the computers screen and camera slightly and shuffled back a few inches on the bed to give Kurt a better view of himself. The picture wasn't the best quality but he could still see Blaine sitting cross legged in front of him as he continued to unbutton his dress shirt – slowly, making a show of popping each button open and exposing a tiny bit more chest. Kurt groaned, Blaine would always be a performer at heart.

"More," Kurt encouraged once the shirt was finally off. Blaine pressed his fingers to his lips and brought them up to the screen before shuffling somewhat awkwardly (Kurt had to bite the inside of his cheek not to laugh) out of his jeans before resettling in just his boxers.

"Oh this is so not fair," Blaine lamented, "you too."

"Oh alright," sighed Kurt dramatically. He shed his pajamas until he matched Blaine.

"This reminds me so much of freshman year," Blaine commented.

"That's just what I was thinking. I remember being so so nervous the first time we did this, like my dad or Finn would burst in the door and see me jerking off in front of a camera," he shook his head – that would have been bad.

"You got into it pretty quickly though if I do recall," teased Blaine. Kurt pouted at him for a moment but recovered quickly – smiling wickedly at his fiancé.

"What can I say – I, ah" he brought his hand to his chest and walked his fingers slowly down from his collar bone, down to skim across his nipple, "I liked your reactions." His hand journeyed further south to play with the hem of his boxer-briefs. Blaine swallowed heavily.

"Go on," he requested huskily. Kurt leaned forward and moved until he was resting on the balls of his feet, the camera cutting off his head entirely and leaving only his abdomen and groin in view – he could still see Blaine on his end of the screen, his face starting to flush slightly in anticipation. Kurt's hand toyed with the elastic of his boxer-briefs for another few torturous seconds before they ambled downward to skim across his length.

"Mmm," Kurt moaned softly. He did it again with a little more pressure this time and felt his body start to respond - both to the treatment and the excitement of having Blaine watch him. "I wish you were here, Blaine."

"Me too," confessed Blaine, eyeing Kurt's crotch hungrily. He was quickly growing hard himself. He wanted to reach through the computer and pull the other man into his arms but the slight voyeuristic quality of watching Kurt touch himself on screen, well that was a thrill in and of itself.

"What do you want me to do?" Kurt asked – a question and an offering in one. Blaine swallowed again.

"Lie down, I wanna see all of you." Kurt readjusted the computer and sprawled out, his upper body slightly propped up by the cream colored pillows of the hotel bed. Without being asked he slipped off his boxer-briefs and bent his legs at the knees, fully exposing himself.

"Better?"

"Much," praised Blaine in a low growl. Kurt's hand wrapped around his cock and he began lazily stroking himself in slow upward twists. "Rmphf," Blaine huffed, "why hasn't teleportation been invented yet?"

"God you're a nerd," commented Kurt bemusedly. Blaine glared at him, but the action was lost as Kurt began to increase the speed of his strokes – his cock fully hard now and his breath starting to come in short little pants.

"This feels good," noted Kurt, "but God Blaine – your hand, your mouth, _you_…"

"Pretend it is me," Blaine instructed. "That's what I'm doing. That's what I've been doing every morning in the shower before work. Sheesh I miss you."

"Mmm, Blaine you should _see_ the shower here – it's glorious, gorgeous." Blaine had to hold back a laugh as Kurt moaned the last few syllables – only Kurt would get off talking about a shower.

"Not as gorgeous as you look right now." Kurt giggled in delight.

"I can tell you're jerking yourself off over their Honeybee – but I can't see, and that is far from fair," he whined with a pout. Blaine nodded and skirted around on the bed until he was in a position similar to Kurt's.

"That's more like it."

"Bossy."

"Hey weren't you telling me what to do like ten seconds ago?"

"That's different."

"Mhmm," Kurt bit his lip as his hand slid over the head of his cock, his fingers dragging themselves into his pre-come and smearing it down his length, "you're lucky I'm distracted." Blaine's hand tightened on his cock and he tried to angle the twist of his wrist more like Kurt did when Kurt got him off with his hand. It wasn't quite the same, but it would have to do. His other hand drifted up to catch in his hair, he gave his locks a quick tug and groaned. "Kurt."

"I'm here baby, I'm here." Blaine let his eyes close for a second and it almost felt like Kurt really was there. Kurt's hands on his cock and pulling on his hair rather than his own. He titled his face into the pillows of their bed, drinking up the lingering scent of his lover.

"Oh God," he choked out. Kurt's hips started to tremble slightly as he thrust upward into his fisted hand.

"Hmphf," he whined. "Ugh when I get home I am expecting the – oh, fuck – the best blowjob ever."

"It'll be a miracle if I even let us get out of the airport before I blow you," Blaine admitted.

"Jesus, _Blaine_…"

"It's true," groaned Blaine, the words thick in his mouth through the haze of pleasure he felt each time his thumb swiped over his slit. He stopped tugging on his hair and let his other hand drift down his body, nails scratching at his chest in their descent. He stroked his balls with the pad of his thumbs and slid his hand back to rub lightly against his perineum. "I love having you in my mouth, you taste so good Kurt."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," whined Kurt; he let the sound of Blaine's voice soak into every pore of his body. The hand on his cock became Blaine's; stroking him in fast, shallow pulls. He pushed back a few stray locks of his hair off his sweaty brow. Someday he'd take Blaine here, or at least to Europe, and he'd fuck him across every surface of hotel room they'd stay in. His heart ached to be somewhere so romantic as this without the love of his life. With Blaine muttering I love you's mixed right along with the dirtiest descriptions of what exactly what he wanted to do to Kurt though, well it was _almost_ like having him here.

Blaine opened his eyes, which had fluttered closed in his imaginings of Kurt jerking him off instead of his own too-calloused hand, and he stole a glance at Kurt on the screen. He looked wrecked – his face flushed, his back arched slightly as he thrust into his hand. Kurt was close.

"Come for me Kurt, I want to watch." Kurt moaned loudly, his voice high and breathy as he stroked himself harsher, losing his rhythm as he edged his orgasm. "Come on baby," he growled, his own hand working feverishly – shots of pleasure darting up inside him, his muscles tightened – fuck he was close too.

Kurt's toes curled first, Blaine could watch as every muscle of Kurt's body tensed on screen and Kurt came, warm white come splattering onto his hand and stomach. Kurt's back fell against the bed with a whoosh and he lay still for a moment before he sat up and brought his hand to his mouth. He sucked two come stained fingers in between his lips and Blaine lost it – climaxing with a shout of Kurt's name that probably woke their elderly neighbors and maybe even the people upstairs but he couldn't bring himself to mind.

"Ungh," he panted as he started to finally approach something resembling calm a few minutes later.

"I love you," Kurt spoke fondly into the microphone.

"I love you too. That was hot, but I think we're a little rusty," Blaine commented with a sly wink. Kurt smirked at him.

"Well, we'll just need a bit more practice during the rest of my trip then."

"Absolutely," Blaine agreed immediately. "But nothing will ever compare to the real thing." Kurt pouted.

"I know. I wasn't kidding about that blow job." Blaine laughed.

"Good. I've got the 29th marked on the calendar, but maybe I should change it from 'Kurt Comes Home' to 'Give Kurt a Blowjob at the Airport Day.'" Kurt snorted.

"Don't you dare! That's the last thing I need your study group to see," he warned good naturedly. He sighed. "I wish we could talk longer but I've –"

"I understand," Blaine supplied quickly, "Go have fun with the little monsters."

"I love you Blaine."

"I love you too."

* * *

><p>The next day Kurt found himself giddy with nerves as the limousine his company had called for him whizzed down the narrow streets of Milan and towards the much-anticipated Couture fashion show that was to be held that evening. He hadn't had a chance to really show off his work to other designers since he'd quit working for Zeb – and even through his internship he'd never been amongst such a prestigious audience. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.<p>

After what seemed like forever but no time at all the limo pulled to a stop and the door popped open. He gathered his courage and stepped out, the click and blink of press cameras and paparazzi clouding his vision the moment he stepped out onto the red carpet. In all his life Kurt had never been _anywhere_ that had a red carpet – let alone for an even he'd been a (small) part of.

After a moment one of the models he'd grown familiar with over his trip – a svelte redhead named Clarisse grabbed him by the hand.

"Saluti [hi] Kurt! You look fantastic! Quick come here there are some designers I want you to meet!" she exclaimed. Kurt allowed her to direct him over to a small group of plainly dressed designers – Kurt never understood the comment habit of other designers to dress in all black or similar clothes every day, no matter how much he designed for other's he didn't think he'd ever tire of building ensembles for himself. The group actually looked rather bored but perked up at the sight of Clarisse and Kurt. Soon enough everyone was introducing themselves and Kurt was glad he'd taken the time to brush up on his basic Italian as it didn't appear anyone in the group spoke much English.

"È un piacere di incontrarla [It's a pleasure to meet you]" he assured the group. They were all full of questions about Kurt's experiences in the city.

"La città è meraviglioso; il mio fidanzato l'amerebbe [The city is wonderful; my fiancé would love it here]" he answered a short woman who looked strikingly similar to the director of _From Justin To Kelly_ except she was at least four inches shorter. He had to bite back a laugh when the woman asked him if she, his fiancée, would be joining him in the rest of his trip. In Europe it seemed a lot less people 'read' him as gay off the bat. Though it was nice to not have assumptions put on him, after all this time it took a bit of getting used to.

"O! Effettivamente, sono gaio. Il mio fidanzato si chiama Blaine. [Oh! Actually I'm gay. My fiancé's name is Blaine." Clarisse looked rather put out about this new information. She said her goodbyes shortly thereafter and headed inside. A few minutes later everyone in the small party decided it would be best to head in as well. Kurt's nerves reemerged tenfold but he managed to steer himself inside and into his assigned seat. Really, the work was done – all he had to do was sit back and relax. Or at least try.

The lights dimmed. Loud, thumping music began to play and a disembodied voice called out to the crowd in Italian. Five other design houses would be showing off their collections today and Marc Jacobs was third so Kurt could take a breath before the chance of his hand-made design strut across the runway. There was a collective gasp when, midway through second collection an entire outfit crumbled before their very eyes. The model tried to keep it together but by the time she was making her turn she was clad in little more than a skin toned thong. Kurt turned to his neighbor.

"Ma certo che non è giusto, dovrebbe usare delle cuciture intrappolato per il laccio – anche un dilettante lo sa! [Well of course that didn't work; you should use lapped seams for the lace – even an amateur knows that!]. His seatmate nodded in the affirmative, looking stern at the glaring mistake.

Kurt held his breath once the Marc Jacobs collection was announced and tried to keep from bouncing in his seat with delight too obviously when his model flawlessly paraded down the catwalk and posed – she was the epitome of fierceness in her presentation and every detail of her ensemble worked. His heart tugged at him a little that none of his friends or family had been able to see this moment, but his joy over the accomplishment outweighed that by far. The rest of the show passed by in a blur and before he knew it Kurt was being pat on the back by a large crowd of strangers – his piece had easily stolen the show. Afterword he was whisked away by Clarisse and the models to an after party in downtown Milan (he had to break it to Clarisse twice more that yes, in fact, he was very much gay and very much engaged – much to her obvious disappointment). Zeb Marque was nowhere to be seen the entire evening.

* * *

><p>Blaine glared down at his text book after rereading the last paragraph (which, to his credit, went on for three pages in miniscule font) and decided he'd had enough for one night. With a thump the textbook fell close and Blaine rubbed his eyes before glancing around the apartment. It looked a lot bigger than normal without Kurt in it. Kurt had officially been on his trip for twelve days. Blaine wasn't climbing the walls or anything, but he missed his fiancé nevertheless. This wasn't the longest he and Kurt had ever been separated of course, but this was the longest he'd ever been in their apartment alone. It was weird.<p>

To his credit Blaine could cook half way decently, managed to keep everything in a state of only mild disarray (hey, he was preparing for L2 Finals after all) and between class, studying, his friends and more studying he'd been managing pretty well without Kurt. He glanced at the clock which read half passed ten. Since it was Thursday and his night class didn't get out until eight he'd only been home for about an hour – long enough to nuke some leftovers from the night before and attempt to read the next assigned chapter in his notable Supreme Court case review book.

He picked up his phone and speed dialed Wes in California – it was only 7 o'clock there (jeez, all this time zone stuff was getting confusing). The phone rang twice before his best friend picked up.

"Hey B, what's up?" Wes greeted him cheerfully.

"Losing grey matter fast over Supreme Court cases, but otherwise things are good. How're you?"

"Good: I just got home actually from being at dinner with Esperanza and her parents…" Wes trailed off.

"Whoa, first time meeting them right, how'd it go?"

"Good, I think. Her dad's kind of scary – very traditional, but I think I won him over with my flawless Spanish."

"Knew that Study Abroad would pay off eventually."

"You said it. Ahh that seems like so long ago," Wes recalled nostalgically. "Speaking of abroad how's Kurt?"

"He's loving it in Paris – this morning sent me a picture of himself and a group of very….interestingly adorned models in front of the Arc de Triomphe. He's got the big fashion show the day after tomorrow and then a bunch of meetings – he'll be back in a little over a week."

"Did he tweet that pic? Sounds familiar…" Wes wondered aloud.

"You know I think he –" Blaine was cut off by a sharp rap to their front door. "Hold on Wes," he cautioned into the phone. It was kind of late for a visitor but maybe somebody from his study group was freaking out about finals even more than him. A quick peek through the peephole revealed no anxious law student but rather the lanky frame of Finn Hudson, looking anxious and bewildered on the other side of the door. "Wes, bud, I think I'm gonna have to call you back. Sorry."

"It's cool, I have about twelve spreadsheets of speculation regarding Greece's financials to work though anyway. Bye."

"Bye." Blaine hung up the phone just as Finn rapped on the door again. He turned the lock and opened the door; Finn barreled inside and started pacing around their living room without so much as a 'hello.'

"Finn…" began Blaine cautiously. Finn looked up from where he'd been circling the coffee table as though he'd just realized Blaine was there at all.

"Oh, hey Blaine…is Kurt here?" Blaine blinked at him – Finn _knew_ Kurt was in Paris still, Kurt said they'd Skyped only the night before. Fortunately Finn caught his mistake before Blaine could reply. "Oh! Duh, Paris, of course he's not here…"

"What's wrong Finn?" Blaine asked, growing increasingly concerned.

"Rachel kicked me out of our apartment."

"Oh. Oh, um….what happened? Did you guys fight or…" Blaine trailed off. The taller man ran a hand through his short hair, his eyes wide.

"She had her audition for the Barbra show today…" Blaine's eyes widened as well – he'd nearly forgotten. "And you will _never_ guess who one of the 'talent' people was." Blaine's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"But…Rachel knew Barbra Streisand was going to be there –"

" – No no not Barbra Streisand, I mean, she was there and all but no, one of the other casting people for the show is Jesse St. James." Finn revealed this with a tone of somber devastation but Blaine had to search his memory for a while to even really come up with the name Jesse St. James.

"The…that guy from your guys' junior prom?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah. He and Rachel used to date and then there was that whole thing at Nationals that year and – let's just say Jesse still has a lot of….what's the word? Resentment, yeah – he has a lot of resentment towards her."

"Did he pull something during the audition?"

"No – I mean, I don't think so but it freaked Rachel the hell out. She and Kurt talked for hours about what songs she should audition with and they decided on _My Heart Belongs to Me_ and… _My Man_," Finn paused and looked at Blaine expectantly but Blaine didn't really get the significance of '_My Man_' where Rachel and Jesse St. James were involved. "It's a long story, that song, but she did it first before she knew he was there and then bam! There he was sitting in the third row right there with Barbra and two other assistants. And he was all 'hey Rachel, nice song choice' all casual just like that I guess and well of course that totally threw her and she _still_ had to do the second song."

"Yikes," lamented Blaine as Finn paused in his rambling. Finn nodded vigorously before a scowl took over his features.

"She made it through okay I think though because Barbra and the two other assistants said she was awesome – well I'm sure they said something fancier than awesome but I'm only repeating what she told me. So there was only supposed to be like one audition round but just as she was about to leave Jesse starts talking to Barbra about how they should really have a second audition between a couple of the most talented girls to see who really is committed to the part or some bullshit – and of course Barbra's all like 'oh what a good idea' so now Rachel has to go back and sing _again_ in front of him and if she gets the part she has to deal with him all the time and I have no idea what that's going to be like. But it doesn't matter because she is _convinced _she isn't going to get the part because I decked him at Prom and the whole Kiss That Missed fiasco and…ugh." Finn finished as abruptly as he'd started, grimaced and collapsed down onto their couch. Blaine wasn't sure he'd ever heard Finn speak that much in one go in all the years he'd known him.

"That sounds like quite a mess," he sympathized, sitting down next to Finn on the couch.

"Totally," agreed Finn. "She came home all upset and nothing I said was the right thing and, Rachel can be kind of difficult but usually I can calm her down but she was just going bananas. I'm not even sure we had a fight fight but I definitely got the message I'm not welcome there tonight." He paused and looked at Blaine a little apprehensively. Blaine got the message.

"Oh! Oh of course, yeah you can totally stay here tonight it's no big deal."

"Thanks," said Finn, looking relieved. "It's not like we're breaking up or anything but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do from here."

"I'm not sure it's _your_ job to fix –"

"Wouldn't you want to help, if Kurt was the one freaking out?"

"Well, of course I would _want_ to, but that doesn't mean I could. Plus Rachel's a big girl – I'm sure she can handle Jesse St. James."

"That's what I told her! She wants this part so bad and – I mean you've heard her sing she'd be perfect to play Barbra Streisand. She's so close to having her dream come true. Oh! Wanna know the kicker?" Blaine looked over at Finn as he shook his head exasperatedly.

"What?"

"Jesse also came up with the brilliant idea that in the second audition the girls aren't allowed to sing any Barbra or Broadway songs – to show their range." Blaine whistled.

"Crazy."

"Yeah and it's not like Rachel isn't great at like radio friendly stuff – I mean she can do girl rock like a champ, but Broadways like her voices home or something." The two sat in contemplative silence for a few minutes. "I wish Kurt was here," confessed Finn, "You're awesome Blaine, but Kurt would know what to do, I just know he would." Blaine checked his watch – it was nearly eleven, but still way too early for Kurt to be awake in Paris yet and Blaine had no idea how busy his day was anyway.

"Well, we could try calling him on Skype in a couple hours if you don't mind staying up," he offered.

"Really? That'd be great. I don't mind staying up; I usually am up watching Cinemax after Rachel falls asleep anyway." Blaine closed his eyes – he knew what kind of programming Cinemax featured late at night and he really didn't need that particular mental image associated with his future brother in-law.

"I don't know if he'll be able to talk, but it's worth a try. Are you hungry? I could make some popcorn and we could play on the Xbox for a while."

"I'm always hungry," said Finn, sounding markedly more cheerful. Blaine considered whether he should call or text Rachel to see if she was okay but he didn't really want her wrath turned on him either. He'd ask Mercedes to check on her if she didn't talk to Finn by the time he left for work the next day.

The two men passed the next couple of hours hunkered down on the couch in a furious Mario Kart competition that Blaine eventually one and Finn blamed on his distraction over Rachel though Blaine and Kurt could easily wipe the floor with Finn's lack of coordination regarding turns any day of the week. Blaine kept his laptop open on the edge of the couch but just as he was thinking Kurt might be awake the computer beeped at him with an incoming call from the man himself.

"Allo!" greeted Kurt brightly as his picture came into focus, "Are you up late studying _again_ or did you just want to see me?"

"I always want to see you." Kurt grinned at him and winked. He looked freshly showered and seemed to be wearing one of the fluffy white bathrobes he'd gushed to Blaine about when he'd checked into the hotel. Blaine forgot about Finn being literally six inches behind him (still engrossed in the last few laps of his race) and stared outright at Kurt as his fiancé began to untie the cinch to the bathrobe –

"Blaine! Oh my god. Is that Finn? I'm _naked_ under here for heaven's sake. Why is Finn at our house?" Finn perked up at the mention of his name and finally put down his controller.

"Hey bro." Kurt offered him a tight smiled before going back to glaring at Blaine. Blaine mouthed 'sorry' for his lapse in judgment.

"Sweetheart, Finn's here because he and Rachel – well, I'll just let him tell you." He picked up the computer and put it in Finn's lap. Kurt listened intently as Finn recounted everything he'd told Blaine.

"So now Rachel's pissed at me, and I'm kinda pissed at her but I know she's really just upset about the audition and wants this part so damn bad but I just…I don't know what to do. _Plus_ the second audition is in two days. Two! Any advice little bro?" Finn asked. Kurt huffed.

"For the last time Finn I'm two months older than you and you being taller doesn't mean a thing. Anyway – yes I actually do have an idea of how you can help Rachel." Finn glanced triumphantly over at Blaine.

"Told ya." Blaine threw up his hands as Kurt raised an accusatory eyebrow at him.

"I had no doubt! I did suggest we stay up and call him didn't I?" Kurt smiled at him.

"Smart man," he praised. "Yes – I do have an idea and I think it'll fit the plot of this particular melodrama quite well. As I am endlessly giving, you can even tell Rachel you thought it up yourself if you'd like." Both boys leaned in closer to the computer as Kurt detailed his idea. It was certainly daring. Finn was half convinced it would only egg Jesse on, but after a little reassurance from Blaine, Finn agreed to relay the idea to Rachel. The three chatted a little more before Kurt had to leave for a meeting and signed off.

"Do you really think this will work?" Finn asked warily.

"Well, it'll either be exactly what she needs to do to clench this…or yes it could blow up in her face spectacularly." Finn sighed. "Nobody ever got anywhere in showbiz by playing it safe though, right?"

"Yeah I guess. You know I love singing but I don't miss all this stress, that's for sure," Finn confessed.

"Oh I don't know – part of me still revels in the thrill of performing. I'm hoping I can recapture a little bit of that in the courtroom some day."

"You will," assured Finn nonchalantly. He yawned. "I'm gonna text Rachel and then I think I'm gonna hit the sack – do you have any spare pillows or a blanket or something? I didn't bring anything from our apartment."

"Have you ever been in our bedroom? We have like twelve pillows. Lemme go get you one." Blaine ambled off towards their bedroom. Great, he had his final, Rachel had the audition of a lifetime, and Kurt had his Parisian show all on the same day. When it rained, it poured.

* * *

><p><strong>That was my first time writing solo!sex so sorry if it was awful. I'm with Kurt and Blaine – that was hot but it's better when they're together.<strong>

**Well this grew longer than I'd plan so I've decided to break it up into a third part – but I have the majority of it written so I promise there will absolutely not be another three week break between chapters. Lots still to cover before Kurt and Blaine are reunited in New York. Will Rachel think Kurt's plan for her second audition is a good idea? Will it work? Have we seen the last of Zeb Marque? What about the rest of Kurt's time in Paris? Hmm.**

**Song was "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City. I posted a link to it on my tumblr a while back and will add it to the song list tomorrow.**

**Chapter 17 will cover the boys engagement party – just an FYI.**

**Reviews are like absolutely appreciated and endlessly flailed over. We're approaching 200 reviews so feel free to leave a prompt along with your review – I just may pick it to do as a one shot or feature in an upcoming chapter!**


	22. Chapter 16, Part 3

**Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter guys! Oh hey look Cockblocktober is almost over thank goodness. Ok – onward with the chapter.**

**Also, we're just going to pretend that NYULaw has finals on Saturdays okay? And not that I screwed up my calendar of elaborately plotted out dates and times of events for this story. Groovy? Groovy.**

* * *

><p>April 21st, 2017<p>

7:03 AM Paris Time (if you're like me and Finn and think time zones can be confusing please be sure and pay attention to the times mentioned)

Kurt disconnected the call from Blaine and Finn and closed his computer. He was fairly confident that his plan for Rachel's audition would end up being a hit – but in case it wasn't he was glad to be four thousand miles away from possible Rachel fury. Only time would tell and he had a laundry list of other tasks to worry about considering the Paris show was tomorrow night: 36 hours and counting. Today would be spent in meetings and final last-minute fittings for the three Marc Jacobs collection ensembles that would be premiering at tomorrow's show along with three designs a piece from Versace, Haus of Gaga and Tom Ford. Unlike the Milan show none of Kurt's own designs would be featured, but he was still excited for the show and pumped to have been chosen to represent the brand.

After he'd gotten ready he'd called the front desk of the hotel to request a cab to the studio where he was planning to meet the models for tomorrows show and supervise (his first real supervisory opportunity in almost five months of working for Marc Jacobs) the assistants as the models were fitted for the pieces they'd be modeling. The cab pulled up outside the hotel and soon Kurt was whizzing along the busy Parisian streets, scheduling meetings and thinking through design concepts for the final week of his trip along the way. The cab dropped him off on the street the studio was located; Kurt tipped the driver and shuffled out, digging through his messenger bag for the key Manuel had given him before he'd left for his trip. Kurt happily noted that two doors down from the studio appeared to be a little coffee shop and made a mental note to stop in to get coffee for himself, the assistants and the models once he set his things down inside. He'd only gotten a quick few sips of hotel room coffee maker coffee that morning and with such a busy day ahead of him he was sure he'd need more.

The key stuck in the lock for a few frustrating seconds before the door opened for him with a loud click. His cell phone started to buzz with an incoming call and Kurt looked down into this messenger bag in search of the phone as he stepped inside, nearly tripping on a slippery sheet of _something_. Almost face planting stopped his search for the errant phone and he looked up.

"We're going to need a hell of a lot of coffee…" he blurted out to the empty room as his eyes widened and jaw dropped as he took in the sight of the studio. Small random bits of fabric decorated the walls, table tops and floor like confetti. _Wait, holy shit,_ Kurt thought, _those aren't _random_ bits of fabric at all._ "Shit!" Kurt cursed, bending over to feverishly pick up pieces of lace, cashmere and other fabric off the cold cement floor. No, the bits of fabric decorating the studio – none of which appeared larger than Kurt's hand, were what used to be the three handmade, exceedingly elaborate designs that were supposed to grace the Parisian runway in, Kurt gulped, 35 hours. Fuck.

"Bonjour Mr. Kurt!" Came a cheerful voice right outside the door. Kurt felt frozen in place, his hands still full as he tried to get a hold on himself. This could not be happening. He was dreaming. He'd fallen asleep in the cab and was still riding around Paris, dreaming up crazy worst case scenarios in his head. Unfortunately the voice on the other side of the door rang out in greeting once again and the reality of the situation fell like a thunderclap around Kurt.

"Um, just a moment," Kurt squeaked out. He set down his things hastily on a table and slowly made his way to the door.

"Oh my god! What happened? Were we robbed?" Parwez, one of the assistants Kurt was in charge of demanded in rabid French the second Kurt opened the door.

"I have no idea what happened. I got here two minutes ago and when I unlocked the door – this, this disaster," explained Kurt, struggling to keep the hysteria out of his voice. Parwez crossed the room, covering his mouth with his hand as he took in the shredded remains of the three signature pieces. Even the sketches that the pieces had been based on had been ripped and only jagged bits held onto the three easels in the far left corner of the room.

"Who on Earth would do such a thing?" Parwez wondered aloud. Kurt wracked his brain but every possibility seemed more farfetched than the next. Neighborhood kids could have broken in…but it seemed really unlikely they'd bother with shredding thousand dollar gowns but leaving everything not related to the clothes completely intact. Nothing appeared to be missing or stolen either. With a sinking feeling Kurt's mind latched on one possible saboteur…but no, it that wasn't possible either. Was it? There was no way Zeb was in Paris, or that even with how much he still obviously hated Kurt, destroying private property was something else entirely.

"I don't know. We'll have to call the police and report it so they can investigate but, Jesus, the show – the show is _tomorrow_. There's no way we can pull out – the media's already in town, everyone is counting on us." A moment later the two other assistants, accompanied by three svelte models entered the studio through the door that Parwez left ajar. Kurt steadied his shoulders: he was in charge here, he was responsible and if he panicked nothing would get accomplished. He willed his anger to settle down and instead began firing off instructions to the three assistants and asked the models to alert the authorities as to the destruction of the ensembles. What the _fuck_ were they going to do?

* * *

><p>April 21st 2017<p>

8:17 AM NYC Time

"Hey, yo man I'm going to work," Finn said as he gave a sleeping Blaine's shoulder a shake.

"Rmphf?" Blaine asked bleary eyed. Finn snorted at him.

"Your hair looks crazy right now dude. I said I'm going to work. I talked to Rachel and she's meeting me for lunch, she's on board with Kurt's crazy plan, but if it backfires I might be staying here again Saturday night, okay?" Blaine blinked a few more times.

"Yeah, okay. Sure." Finn patted him on the head and headed out of the bedroom. Blaine could hear him clatter around the kitchenette for coffee for a moment and then the slam of the front door. Feeling like it was far too early to be up right now Blaine reluctantly sat up. He had a lot of studying to do for his finals today and had planned to meet Kevin at the public library so they could each study for his respective finals. Blaine was frankly a little jealous Kevin would be graduating with his Masters next month while he still had another whole year of law school ahead of him. He liked law school, but it was a shit-ton of work all the time and he'd be more than ready to graduate when the time came.

With a groan he pulled himself out of bed and checked his cell phone. He had a new email from Carole about his and Kurt's upcoming engagement party. Now that Kurt was making good money they'd been able to start savings account for their wedding and Kurt picked up the tab for all their groceries and the utility bills. It was the first time in their relationship that Kurt had more money at his disposal than Blaine. His parents were still paying for his law school stuff and the rent for their apartment, and his dad had sounded annoyingly surprised and a little impressed when Blaine told him about the utilities/groceries, but as for Blaine himself he had very little of his 'own' money apart from the tips he, Amber and their other friends would get at their occasional jam sessions around the city. It was definitely strange but after years of Blaine reassuring Kurt that it was 'their' money he figured he might as well take his own advice.

Kurt and Blaine had planned with Burt and Carole to have their engagement party on the third of June. If Rachel got the _Babs_ (as the play had been tentatively entitled) part she probably wouldn't be able to make it as they were having the party in Lima, but most of their other friends were planning on visiting Lima for a little while in the summer anyway so it made sense to have it there. Amber and Gil were especially excited to see where Kurt grew up. Carole was thrilled at the idea, and Burt worried about where he'd put five extra people instead of the usual three in their small house. Blaine's dad hemmed and hawed about the party the few times Blaine had brought it up and he hadn't even bothered to tell his mom about it as her attitude hadn't changed in the past month.

He sighed and pushed the thoughts about his mom and dad out of his mind as he entered the bathroom and brushed his teeth. Kurt would be home in a little over a week. God he missed him. The time to himself had been nice, and he'd certainly been too busy studying to really pine for his fiancé – but three weeks without Kurt was a long time. Kurt would yell at him for not washing the sheets in over two weeks but Blaine hadn't wanted Kurt's familiar scent to get washed away from their pillows. He allowed himself a second to pout at the metallic toothbrush holder on their bathroom sink, empty where Kurt's toothbrush should have been. Rolling his eyes at his own dopiness, Blaine rinsed out his mouth and turned on their shower, letting the water warm up for a minute before stepping inside.

One of the best things about living in an apartment (well, a nice apartment in midtown Manhattan) had to be the endless supply of hot water. Blaine loved the relaxing feeling of a long, hot shower – they'd purchased a changeable shower head when Kurt moved in and the water pressure was fucking perfect. Unlike Kurt, Blaine was far from a morning person and the pressure and heat of the water woke up his muscles. Blaine grabbed his shampoo bottle to wash his hair but when he tried to pour some into his hand he noticed he was out. Tossing the bottle back into their caddy he reached for Kurt's shampoo and popped the lid, bringing the bottle up towards his face and inhaling deeply.

_Kurt_. Kurt's shampoo smelled fantastic, like coconut and honey and vanilla all in one. It also reminded Blaine strongly of his fiancé. Blaine smiled to himself a little bit as he remembered memorable moments with Kurt in this very shower: slow tender moments where they'd washed each others' hair, quick rushed moments where they just were in a hurry and showering at the same time was efficient, making love under the steady stream of hot water, feverish fucking that almost ended in injury as they slipped and slid in their haste, Kurt looked so delicious when he was soaking wet: water droplets clinging to every edge and plane of his body, his skin would flush so easily from Blaine's touch, everything seemed a little more intense in the heated air.

Blaine almost didn't notice he'd gotten half-hard in his shower-sex reminisces until his hand involuntarily found its way to his cock. _Well_, since he was already this far gone and had a while until he needed to meet Kevin, he might as well. Ugh, he missed Kurt. Missed everything about being with Kurt, sharing dinner together, bouncing ideas off of each other when the they were stuck on one of their projects, doing little insignificant things like laundry together – Blaine missed all that, but at this moment, he really missed the feeling of Kurt's lips moving against his own. Missed Kurt's neck, and the little noises Kurt would make when Blaine would lavish attention to a well loved pulse point near his Adam's apple. Missed Kurt's hand around his cock, the soft skin of his palms and his long graceful fingers wrapped around his shaft, sliding up and down, the way his pointer finger would do little figure eights around the slit at the head of his cock – something Blaine had never mastered doing without fumbling.

He let out a groan that reverberated off the shower walls as he stroked himself with a firm grip. He was fully hard now, eyes closed, lips slightly parted, breathing hard and thinking of Kurt. His back found the wall of the shower and he rested against it, knees bent slightly in protest of supporting his weight as ripples of pleasure shot up his cock and into his abdomen. His fingers slid down his shaft and encircled his balls, the pad of his thumb rubbing against them as his other hand found one of his nipples and rolled it between two fingers.

"_Ungh, Kurt,_" Blaine whined letting himself imagine Kurt's mouth around him, warm and wet and perfect – his tongue doing _things_ to the underside of his cock that made Blaine gasp and whimper and tremble. The air was heady around him, thick with humidity and his fantasy of Kurt. His strokes quickened and the image of Kurt standing in the shower with Blaine on his knees, sucking him off like his life depended on it filled his mind's eye. Blaine _loved_ blowing Kurt, loved the feel of Kurt's cock filling his mouth, loved the taste of him in the shower – all clean and skin and male, loved Kurt's thighs on either side of his head jerking forward and back when Blaine let Kurt fuck his mouth, loved gripping his hands on Kurt's hip bones and holding him still while Blaine swallowed around Kurt's cock and made Kurt's toes curl.

Speaking of toes curling, Blaine's own were well on their way as he felt his orgasm building in his belly. His hand flung forward to hold onto the adjacent shower wall and he stroked himself harder, faster, the warm water pelting his back as he thrust into his fisted hand, enjoying the different slippery sensation of the water rather than lube on his cock. Biting his lip he came with a low moan, come splattering the shower wall before being washed away. Stroking himself through the wave Blaine sunk back against the wall of the shower.

"Three weeks is a long time," he sighed to himself as he reached again for the shampoo bottle to finally actually wash his hair.

* * *

><p>April 22nd 2017<p>

3:12 AM Paris Time

Kurt closed his tired eyes and breathed in deep through his nose, letting air gradually fill his lungs, expanding his rib cage before slowly letting the air out in the controlled breathing he'd learned in years of Yoga. He'd been at the studio for 18 hours and it was highly unlikely he'd be leaving any time soon. First he had to deal with calling his boss back in New York and explaining about the vandalized garments, then he had the terrible task of informing the original designers (none of which were in town – hell none of which were in Europe at all) that their creations were _ruined, _and after that he'd had the lovely experience of interacting with the Parisian police to report what had happened.

That took up most of the morning and then Kurt had to figure out what to _do_ now. The only thing really to do, and what everyone was now counting on him to lead, was to create three new, exceptional, well made ensembles before tomorrow (well, now technically, today's) show. It was irrelevant that the ruined pieces had been crafted over the space of months – the time they had was what they needed to make work now. They had less than a day and a half to prepare, but he'd be _damned_ if they didn't have three perfect pieces ready to roll on that runway come Saturday night.

Kurt couldn't copy the original designs – even if he'd been willing to the original designers wouldn't have gone for it, but he needed the pieces to fit with the others in the collection and to represent the Marc Jacobs brand well. This show, it's collaboration between the four design houses, was a big deal – a huge deal, meant to showcase the most innovative work happening at the moment, not to be on trend but rather trend setting. Truly fashion as art, and Kurt loved that, but he didn't love the pressure cooker he'd found himself in.

The models bailed almost immediately after the police left, but agreed to return the next day for a quick fitting before the show. With them out of the way Kurt and his three assistant's brain stormed concepts and ideas for the three new designs. Thankful for the high limit on the business credit card he'd been given for his trip he'd sent two of his assistants out to buy fabric at a well known high end design store across town and gotten to work sketching out the designs on paper and creating silhouettes in his mind of what he wanted the finished pieces to look like. The other assistant, Parwez, was sent to the store to buy as much coffee, RedBull and other necessities as he could – the four of them were in for a long stay. So they worked frantically all day in a sea of barely controlled chaos.

Which brought them to now: a little after three in the morning, where half finished pieces hung precariously on mannequins. Parwez experienced a moment of brilliant foresight at the store when he bought a first aid kit on a whim as now all four of them had at least one finger bandaged due to stabbing themselves with needless as they hand stitched beading, lace and fringe. Adrenaline, caffeine, vitamin B and whatever else they put in RedBull flowed through Kurt's veins as he worked, calling upon every ounce of creativity, problem-solving skills and patience he had. Finally, at a quarter to five he insisted they all go home to get a few hours of sleep before meeting back at the studio at 10am. Looking like they'd been in a warzone the four trudged out into the street and called for cabs, the sun barely starting to peak out over the horizon. Talk about a wild night in Paris.

* * *

><p>April 22nd 2017<p>

2:14 PM New York Time

"Are you sure we can be here? Finn, we're going to get Rachel in trouble."

"Relax dude. Rachel and Kurt snuck in here when they were in high school. It'll be fine." Blaine looked at the other man warily – Finn wasn't exactly known for his stealth and agility. However he obediently followed the other mans lead as they snuck through an unlocked door and quietly made their way to the back of the Gershwin theater where Rachel was due to have her second audition for _Babs_ in a matter of minutes. Blaine cringed as the old seats creaked when he and Finn sat down but the three figures in the front row of the theater didn't seem to notice the disturbance. The lights of the theater flashed twice and the curtain pulled back to reveal Rachel Berry standing center stage, looking nervous, excited and just slightly green.

"Hello again everyone," she greeted cheerfully. The middle figure in the front row – Blaine supposed with a jolt to his heart that must be Barbra Streisand – nodded. "Thank you for having me back. As you know my name is Rachel Berry and I'll be auditioning to be you – I mean, I'll be auditioning to be Barbra, the lead. Yes," she continued shakily.

"We're aware," replied the figure on the left of Ms. Streisand. From Finns tensing posture Blaine presumed that might be the infamous Jesse St. James. "Impress us Rachel." He paused. "Impress me." Rachel took a deep breath and the anxiety that had been rolling off her in palpable waves seemed to dissipate some.

"Watch me." She took a step back and the sound of a steady drum beat and a few strong notes of piano echoed in the theater. Rachel began to sing – her voice steady, powerful, masterful and present.

Blaine held his breath.

_You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht  
>Your hat strategically dipped below one eye<br>Your scarf it was apricot  
>You had one eye on the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte<br>And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner  
>They'd be your partner, and...<em>

_You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you  
>You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you<br>Don't you? Don't You?_

_You had me several years ago when I was still quite naïve  
>Well you said that we made such a pretty pair<br>And that you would never leave  
>But you gave away the things you loved and one of them was me<br>I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee  
>Clouds in my coffee, and...<em>

_You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you  
>You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you<br>Don't you? Don't You?_

_I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee  
>Clouds in my coffee, and...<br>Well I hear you went up to Saratoga and your horse naturally won  
>Then you flew your lear jet up to Nova Scotia<br>To see the total eclipse of the sun  
>Well you're where you should be all the time<br>And when you're not you're with  
>Some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend<br>Wife of a close friend, and... _

_You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you  
>You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you<br>Don't you? Don't You?_

Rachel finished the last notes of the song and the music faded out. She stood alone in the center of the stage, her shoulders back, gaze steady as she looked at Barbra, Jesse and the other assistant – waiting to hear her fate.

* * *

><p>April 22nd 2017<p>

7:57 PM Paris Time

"We did it. Whether the pieces are a rousing success or total failure we did it. Three one of a kind, handmade ensembles created from nothingness," he paused and snapped his fingers for emphasis, "in less than two days. You three have been wonderful and no matter how they're received I'm proud of our work and you should be as well," Kurt assured the three exhausted assistants as they took advantage in the moments pause between getting the models runway ready and the start of the show. The four exchanged exhausted, slightly giddy smiles. Ultimately, as the person in charge, this was going to fall on Kurt. He hadn't been prepared to take on such a responsibility for the brand with no notice – the one piece of his that had been show at the Milan show was work he'd spent weeks creating and retooling - not a sole night where blood, sweat and tears had all presented themselves by the time the models arrived the next morning. None of the other design houses knew about the vandalizing incident, the entire scandal was being kept hush-hush by the brand heads until after the show to prevent the skittish designers at the other design houses from pulling out of the already cutting-edge show.

"Let's rock and roll." With linked arms the four headed out from behind stage and found their seats amongst the crowd, loud indie music filling the air and colorful flashing lights bouncing off walls and floor of the cat walk.

Tom Fords designs were presented first, followed by Versace, then Haus of Gaga and finally – Marc Jacobs. Kurt held his breath as the MC introduced the brand and the first of the three models strut out onto stage. Kurt couldn't help but beam as he watched his designs – _his designs_ – move past him. Never before had so many people seen his work, every major fashion press agency in the world was attending this show and the flashbulb of camera's mixed with the din of the whispering crowd provided for enough white noise to block out everything except for the model slinking down the run way like she owned the joint. Eventually however even Kurt's concentration was interrupted by a disturbance and loud scrapping of chairs several rows back.

"No!" a voice shouted. "How could this be? They had nothing, _nothing_, I made sure!" Kurt tore his eyes away from his models – who, ever the professionals hadn't missed a beat – and turned around. A bewildered and outraged Zeb Marque had scrambled out of his seat and shook his fist at the runway. The crowd gasped at his admission. Kurt stood.

"What do you mean, you 'made sure'?" he demanded icily. Zeb, who only then seemed to realize what he'd said, visibly blanched.

"I, I – but, how?" He stammered, looking around wildly for an escape.

"[In French please!] You sabotaged our designs. You broke into our studio and shredded three priceless pieces. _I_ came up with new designs. _We_ pulled them together in a matter of hours. _You_ are a criminal and a cretin and now _everyone_ knows!" he shouted. Zeb's eyes grew wider still; if possible, his whole body filling with noticeable dread as the crowds whispering grew louder, angrier. He spun around and took off, nearly knocking over an extremely old woman drowning in furs and diamonds in his rush. _Oh, hell no_, Kurt thought. He shouted for security and took off after Zeb, following his disappearing back into a dark hallway that began at the back of the hall.

His heels clicked loudly as he chased after Zeb. He'd been right all along – Zeb was still so filled with resentment and anger at Kurt's defection he'd tried to force Marc Jacobs out of the show and make Kurt look incompetent in the process, that fucker. Zeb turned down a corner, then another; the guy could run pretty fast. He had just lost sight of him when he heard a loud oomph. Rounding the corner Kurt saw Zeb lying on the ground looking like he'd just been clothes-lined, a mysterious woman dressed in all black satin complete with a large feathery hat that shrouded much of her face and what appeared to be a large square box shaped something around her abdomen under the clothes standing over him.

"Coward," she chastised, giving the man a glare. "If you're going to pull a stunt like that you should either own up to it or be damn good enough to get away with it. That's what I would do." He looked at her incredulously.

"And who, the hell, are you?" Kurt had caught up to them by now, watching the scene unfold – his breath caught in his throat at the question, he knew _exactly_ who had knocked Zeb down, though his brain wasn't sure if it could believe his eyes. The woman smiled at Kurt before rounding on Zeb.

"My mother calls me Stephanie, my fans call me Mother Monster, the rest call me Lady Gaga or Gaga – but that's _Ms. Gaga_ to you," she spat out in disgust. Zeb's jaw fell open and he mouthed wordlessly for a moment. The sound of footsteps growing louder filled the following silence and three hulking security guards rounded the corner soon after. They rounded on Zeb, hauling him off the ground and dragging him off to be questioned by the police. Kurt stood in shock as Zeb tried unsuccessfully to fight them off and then found himself alone in a hallway with a woman he appreciated so much he'd dressed up in her likeness back in his high school Glee Club.

"Thank you," he said breathlessly after a long moment, gesturing to the floor where Zeb had been knocked down. The artist shrugged her shoulders.

"Any time. They have camera's of the show in the bathroom you know? So I saw what happened and just happened to catch him at the right moment. What was all that about anyway?" Kurt explained about the ruined show pieces and Zeb's surprise at seeing Marc Jacobs still on the runway. She listened intently.

"So…is he an ex lover of yours or…?" Kurt made a face in disgust.

"Former boss actually."

"Ugh, that's even worse," she declared sympathetically. Kurt laughed.

"I suppose – I thought I was crazy because I suspected him. Seemed pretty farfetched."

"It's amazing the lengths small people will go to tear down others – especially if they're as talented as you." Kurt beamed at her praise.

"T-thank, thank you," he stammered. She held out her hand. He gazed at it wide-eyed for a moment before grasping it, his heart beating faster than any other time he'd held hands with a girl – that was for certain.

"We should probably get back. I want to see the rest of your work."

"Of course." Slightly dazed with compounded amazement and exhaustion Kurt lead the way back to the main hall where the show had been halted because of the ruckus and guided Gaga back to her seat before taking his own. The show continued a moment later before ending in an explosion of applause. The representatives from each of the four brands, Kurt included, made their way onto the main stage and each stepped forward as their brand was announced. The rep from Haus of Gaga nodded towards the seated songstress and pushed Kurt forward a little more as Marc Jacobs was called. With bright sparkling eyes Kurt took a little bow and beamed at the crowd. He'd pulled it off.

* * *

><p>April 29th 2017<p>

9:38 PM New York Time

"Ugh is Kurt's plane ever going to get here?" complained Finn as he waited in the hard plastic seats of the airports waiting area. His step-brothers plane had been due to arrive at 5pm, nearly five hours before. That was before the freak hail storm in London where Kurt was supposed to change planes. His original London flight had been canceled and the plane he was then put on sat on the runway for two hours before they escorted everyone back off of the plane to investigate an engine issue. The passengers had been dispersed between other airlines Kurt had eventually managed to find a spot on a plane to NYC, but it was unlikely his luggage would arrive in the States for several days. Blaine was thrilled Kurt was coming home but not quite sure he was looking forward to Kurt's actual, eventual, arrival.

"It was sweet of you guys to come Finn, but really – Kurt's luggage is gone anyway, I'm sure he and I can manage his carry on, you guys can go home if you're exhausted," Blaine offered reasonably. Rachel shook her head.

"Oh no. No I've been waiting a week I can wait a little while longer. Oh I could kiss Kurt! He was such a genius. I still can't believe it. Jesse said it was the perfect use of theatricality. I can't believe I actually got the part. I mean _I_ knew I was perfect for it, but so often my many talents are over looked!" Finn rubbed his temples and exchanged a look with Blaine. They knew Rachel had the part. Rachel having the part was all Rachel had been able to talk about for the past six and a half days. "Rehearsals start on Monday I am just so excited I could burst!"

"Mhmm," Finn acknowledged, twining his fingers together and raising his arms over his head, rolling his shoulders back in a stretch. He was really far too big for the cramped space.

"Ahh!" Gushed Rachel, "and I can't wait to hear the full story about that craziness in Paris! I mean, I know Kurt told us what happened over Skype but still. The nerve of that man! I'm glad he got arrested."

"Me too," agreed Blaine, looking up from his copy of vogue. "They're still trying to figure out charges and jurisdiction and all that but those gowns he ruined were valued at well over a grand a piece, he could end up with quite a bit of time."

"Serves him right!" Spat Rachel. "I thought all of that nonsense was done last spring but, heh, things have a way of popping up again when you least expect them don't they?" Blaine turned to her.

"How do you plan on working with Jesse now with all of your….history?" Finn shifted to face his girlfriend as well.

"I think he just wanted to see if he could trip me up with that audition, but I really think it'll be okay. He's not the director or anything. The casting people don't have a ton to do with the show now that it's getting started – and you know what? I would put up with 10 Jesse's at his most obnoxious because I get to work with Barbra Streisand in my _dream_ role. Ain't nothing gonna rain on my parade," she finished in a sing-song voice. Finn took her hand.

"That's my girl." They smiled at each other before Finn looked over everyone's heads at the announcement board on the wall of the waiting area.

"Oh hey, look, Kurt's plane is on the board finally." Blaine whipped his head around.

"Twenty minutes? Oh thank god. I'm gonna run and get some coffee and like a muffin or something for Kurt before he gets here. You guys want anything?" Rachel shook her head but Finn stood up so he could stretch his legs and grab a mountain dew. Starbucks was super crowded even this late in the evening and Kurt's plane was already letting passengers out by the time they got back. The three friends watched and waited for Kurt to pass through the gate.

"Kurt!" Squealed Rachel excitedly. Looking thoroughly worn Kurt perked his head up, smiled at the three and rushed as fast as his tired legs could carry him. Finn put his arm gently around Rachel's waist to hold her back so Blaine could get to his fiancé first.

"Oh my god I missed you. I am so glad you finally made it back," breathed Blaine as he pulled the other man toward him. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's back.

"I missed you too. So, so so much and then, ugh, with all the delays and problems with my flights I thought I'd be stuck in that airport forever!" Kurt titled his head and brought their lips together. "Mhmm," he sighed when they pulled away after a long moment, "the thought of doing that was all that kept me going these last few hours. I'm so _tired_ – it's the middle of the night in Europe now you know, I was only just getting used to the time difference." Inpatient, Rachel cleared her throat loudly.

"We came to meet you too Kurt!" she reminded him.

"I know. Thank you. It's wonderful to see both of you." He hugged her tightly before sharing a quick embrace with his brother.

"Missed our Thursday night dinners man," Finn admitted.

"Me too," Kurt agreed with a warm smile. "I wanna hear all about the show Rachel, and how everything's going at work Finn, and everything else I've missed, but I'm kind of dead on my feet at the moment." Blaine remembered the coffee and handed it to him. Kurt took a long inhale of the hot liquid, "I knew I was marrying you for a reason." The four picked up their things and headed home – Rachel and Finn riding along with them before switching lines back to Soho with plans to meet for brunch the following morning.

"Well, so much for that welcome home airport blow job, hmm?" Kurt teased, his head resting on Blaine's shoulder as the subway car whisked them home.

"Seemed a bit complicated with your brother and Rachel right there," Blaine reasoned. Kurt yawned.

"That's alright, as much as I am dying to get….reacquainted with you, I think it's possible I'd fall asleep in the middle if we tried to do anything right now." He snuggled closer into Blaine's warmth and sighed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too baby," seconded Blaine. Kurt yawned again.

"Just give me a few hours to rest and then I'm going to fuck your brains out," he whispered. Blaine giggled and turned to kiss Kurt on the cheek.

"I'll hold you too that, and god I really want to fuck you too," he confessed against Kurt's earlobe. Kurt's eyes fell closed and he napped lightly next to Blaine for the rest of the trip home, Blaine directing a disoriented Kurt out of the subway and down the street to their apartment building. Once they were inside Kurt pulled off all his clothes apart from his underwear and fell into bed, asleep within seconds. Blaine chuckled, changed into pajamas and crawled in next to him.

He woke up four hours later when a hot needy mouth found his, kissing him awake before moving on to dot kisses along his jaw and across his cheek to suck on his ear lobe.

"Someone's feeling more awake," he observed, pulling Kurt on top of him.

"Much. I slept for a few hours and just took a shower – I felt disgusting from being on the plane. I was going to wait till morning but," he paused and smiled shyly, "I missed you." Blaine growled and raked his hands along Kurt's back, pulling him closer to him.

"Oh don't worry, I missed you too." His hands caressed the smooth lines of the muscles in Kurt's back before drifting downward to cup his ass. It appeared Kurt hadn't bothered putting on boxers or pajamas after getting out the shower. His hair was still quite damp, slicked back hastily in a hundred different directions. Blaine groaned and squeezed his fingers into the fleshy fullness of Kurt's ass as Kurt nibbled and sucked on his ear lobe, his breath hot and loud in his ear.

His own hand snaked between their bodies to stroke at Kurt's rapidly hardening cock, reveling in the familiar feeling of hard heavy _Kurt_ in his hand. Kurt moaned in appreciation and threw his head back, his arms lunging downward to pull off Blaine's sleep shirt. It went flying across the room and Blaine sat them up, gripping Kurt's hips to turn them over, Kurt's legs falling open underneath him. He lifted his hips and quickly pulled off his own pajama bottoms and boxers.

"I love you," he whispered into the darkness as he began lavishing Kurt's collarbone with kisses, dropping his hips down to thrust their cocks together.

"Ungh, oh God," Kurt moaned, a hand flitting upwards to tangle in Blaine's curls, "I love you too." Blaine ground his hips harder against Kurt who shifted up to meet him, savoring each jolt of heavenly friction between them. "Rmphf, I want, I want – oh!" whimpered Kurt. Blaine paused.

"Yeah?"

"God, _fuck_," Kurt struggled to get the words out, his hips fucking against Blaine's in their frenzy for more, closer, harder touch. "I wanna fuck you, but I want you to fuck me too – I can't decide." Blaine thought about it for a second, concentrating on sucking a wet mark against Kurt's pectoral.

"Let's do both, lets switch." Kurt's eyes lit up in delight.

"Yeah, ok, yeah, let's do that," he said breathlessly. Blaine rolled himself over so he was on Kurt's left side. Kurt reached a hand into their bedside table and pulled out the lube and two condoms. Blaine grabbed two pillows from over head and handed one to Kurt. They each turned over two lie on their stomachs next to each other, only an inch apart. Kurt hooked an ankle around Blaines.

"I love you."

"I love you too." He popped the lid on the lube and poured some out into Blaine's waiting palm before adding some to his own and spreading it around his fingers. Their arms crossed over each other and the two hands danced over the cleft of their partners ass for a moment before sinking down into the crack and pressing lightly against their entrances. Kurt gasped at the sensation of touching and being touched at the same time.

It was slightly awkward, their arms were bent at odd ankles but it was all pushed aside as pointer fingers found puckered openings and pressed inside the tight heat of the two lovers bodies. Blaine shifted slightly until the side of his body was flush against Kurt's, their cheeks pressing together as they both panted against the sheets. A finger, then two, buried themselves up to the knuckle, Kurt's crooking just write to elicit a whine when he found Blaine's prostate, Blaine's own fingers jerking up against Kurt's in answer a moment later. Their hips pushed back against the others hands, lube-slicked fingers scissoring slightly to stretch the tight rings of muscle in preparation.

"Fuck, Kurt, _please_, fuck me, fuck me, fuck me," Blaine begged as the pad of Kurt's pointer finger found his sweet spot over and over again. Breathless, Kurt nodded and slowly pulled his fingers out of the other man. Blaine fucked his own into Kurt hard until Kurt was writhing and whimpering and grabbing on to his wrist.

"I can't if you don't – ah – stop that right now, oh god," Kurt gritted out through clenched teeth. Blaine pushed against the nub once more before slowly pulling out, Kurt hissing in protest at the loss. He quickly found one of the condoms, tore the wrapper and rolled it onto himself, adding more lube to his hand and stroking his cock until it was slick and perfect. "We're changing the sheets tonight," Kurt warned. "There's going to be lube stains everywhere."

"Okay, whatever you want just, please," Blaine begged, pushing his hips back further and spreading his legs wide, beckoning Kurt on. Kurt clamored on top of him and lined himself up with Blaine's hole, his knees felt a little like jelly after having Blaine's fingers buried inside of him not a moment ago but he steered himself on, the tip of his dick pressing insistently against Blaine. He pushed forward and watched himself be enveloped by Blaine's body, sinking in until his balls were flush against Blaine's ass. "Yes, yes, fuck, oh finally," whimpered Blaine happily. Kurt bent his head forward and pressed a kiss to the back of Blaine's slightly sweaty neck.

"I missed you too," he chuckled. He pulled out until just the head of his cock was dipped inside of Blaine's stretched asshole and held himself there for a moment, biting his lip to keep from crying out or moving. Blaine curled his hands into fists at the tease and turned his head to whine just as Kurt snapped his hips forward and thrust deeply into him, in and out and back again, building a rhythm.

"Oh my god you feel good, so good, so good," Kurt praised as he pounded into Blaine. Blaine bent his knees slightly and moved along with Kurt, his trapped cock grinding against their sheets for friction. They continued for several minutes, incoherent mixtures of swear words, groans and starts at each others' names filling the air. Blaine could feel his balls tightening, his orgasm pleading with him to let go – but he couldn't, not yet. As fanfuckingtastically good as this was he wanted to come inside of Kurt.

"Shit, Kurt, baby, lets – fuck – let's switch, okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah I was afraid I was going to come before we got a chance," Kurt admitted, pumping slowly into Blaine a few more times before pulling out gently and rolling off of him. They both took a moment to catch their breath and retreat a few paces from the cliffs of their orgasms. After a minute or so Kurt turned onto his belly, resting his weight on his elbows and bent knees. "Ready when you are Honeybee," he giggled mischievously. Blaine, who was still panting a little laughed as well and reached over to smack Kurt hard in the middle of his ass with an open palm, earning him a groan of pleasure from his fiancé.

"Cheeky," he chastised, bringing his hand down hard on Kurt's ass again before shifting around to come behind him, raised up on his own knees to line up with Kurt's butt. Kurt rolled the condom off his own dick while Blaine tore off the wrapper and slid the second onto himself. He reached around Kurt's leg to stroke at Kurt's erection, his thumb pressing against the underside of the head of Kurt's cock as he adjusted himself to line up with Kurt's hole. Kurt let out a high satisfied moan when Blaine pushed inside. Blaine pumped his hand in tune with his thrust as Kurt writhed underneath him, the toes of Kurt's feet digging into the bed as he was pushed forward a few inches by the force of their love making.

Moonlight reflected off of their bodies, Kurt's pale skin seeming to glow from the light along with his inner heat and passion. Blaine nibbled at the side of Kurt's neck before Kurt turned his head to latch on to Blaine's mouth in a messy kiss, all teeth and tongue and no finesse from this angle but it didn't matter when every synapse of his body was firing off feelings of mounting pleasure and joy.

"Fuck, Blaine, I'm so close," Kurt groaned against Blaine's mouth. Blaine gripped his dick a little tighter, letting Kurt thrust into his fisted hand as he thrust into Kurt's hole.

"Me too, me too, let's come together okay?" The last syllable had barely escaped his mouth when Kurt clenched around him, pushing Blaine into orgasm with Kurt only a second behind him. Blaine fucked into him until he was too sensitive and Kurt's cock started to soften. He pulled out and tossed off the condom to join Kurt's in the bottom of their bin. Breathing hard they collapsed next to each other.

"We're a good team," Blaine commented. Kurt laughed.

"Yeah, I'd say we are." He paused. "Sleep?"

"Sleep," agreed Blaine. "I love you."

"I love you too." They drifted off with legs and arms tangled together, peaceful, sated and reunited at last.

* * *

><p><strong>That's it! Chapter 16 is officially finished. If you're wondering getting clothes-lined is a football reference but trust me it would hurt to get knocked on your ass like that. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoyed reading it! Reviews short or long are immensely appreciated.<strong>

**The song Rachel sings is called "You're so Vain" and it's by Carly Simon. A quick search on youtube will find it for you. **

**17 will cover the boys' engagement party in Lima. Also 17 will be a lot more Blaine centric than 16 was and **_**yes**_** Blaine will have his own story line outside of his relationships with Kurt and his parents as the story goes on though this won't really be featured in 17 – more 20-22 I think. Also look for some big things to start rolling regarding Mercedes' career in the following few chapters. **


	23. First Half of Chapter 17

**Ugh, this took forever didn't it? So sorry, I recently started a full time job where I'm working 10-12 hour days and by the time I get home I'm so exhausted it's difficult to write. Put that with this angsty chapter that hits kind of personally close to home and…well, you get the picture. This chapter has significant angst in it, but it also has a lot of fluffy possibly even cheesy moments in it to hopefully balance out the angst. **

**This is actually only half of the chapter, but I wanted to publish **_**something**_** as I've kept you all waiting ages and ages. When I finish the full chapter I'll be sure and publish that as well.**

* * *

><p>June 1st, 2017<p>

Kurt and Blaine arrived in Lima with Finn, Gil, Amber, Tina, and Detroit in tow (having Detroit around to keep Tina calm on the plane was _such_ an improvement from past flights with their friend) on the 31st of May. Blaine had survived the end of his semester (though NYULaw infuriatingly kept grades from being posted for a full five weeks after the semester ended) and everyone was excited to be in Lima for a few days to celebrate Kurt and Blaine's engagement. As they hadn't been able to take off work as early as the others Jay, Mercedes, David, Kevin and Quinn were all flying in together late Friday evening, just in time before the engagement party planned for Saturday morning. The shuffle of friends and flights and where everyone would be staying was enough to keep anyone but the eternally organized Kurt Hummel completely overwhelmed.

Currently, Kurt, Blaine, Finn, Gil, Amber, Burt and Carole were all seated around the Hudson-Hummel breakfast table, digging in to some of Carole's famous buckwheat pancakes while Amber, Blaine, Finn and Burt argued over baseball while Gil delighted Carole with tales of her surfing days (Carole was a big fan of the beach and the ocean) and Kurt ate in comfortable silence, taking in the buzz of activity around him. The table, built for four – _maybe_ six if you squeezed, was fit to burst but as happy and lively as ever.

In a different world it would have made total logistical sense for Kurt, Gil and Amber to stay with Blaine at Blaine's parent's house as they had not one but two spacious guestrooms and enough bathrooms to keep everyone of out of each others' hair. In a different world however, Blaine would have also known whether or not his parents were going to bother going to his and Kurt's engagement party at all. In a very different world Blaine would have known for sure if he even wanted them to attend in the first place. Unfortunately Blaine existed in this world not that one and with two days to go everything regarding his parents was still tense and up in the air.

That part, the not knowing part, was very frustrating for Kurt – though he tried to keep his annoyance in check and not directed at Blaine. It wasn't his fault he didn't know what was going on with his family. Did Kurt wish Blaine was just a little more adamant about finding out what his parents were doing so his carefully constructed seating charts would not go to waste? Yes.

With a sigh Kurt reasoned that this was probably going to be par for the course for the actual wedding next year so he might as well get used to it. Originally Kurt _and _Blaine had assumed Blaine's dad at least would be attending their party, but Mr. Anderson had thrown that for a loop a month previous when he stated that while he wasn't going to do anything to impede the wedding, and wanted Blaine to be happy, blah blah blah, that didn't go so far as to actually wanting to _help_ and as Blaine's mother was still undecided about whether she'd attend Gerald felt he and his wife needed to be a 'united front' whatever they did.

That phrasing a 'united front' had crushed Blaine. Though he'd been committed to 'letting himself be happy without any conditions' regarding his parents since his epiphany earlier in the spring – hearing his parents speak like that – like they wanted and needed to be a 'united front,' well it tore him up. _front _like they were in the military or something. A _united front. _United against what? Against him? Luckily Kurt had been at home with him for that unsettling phone call and had glanced up from his sketch book at just the right moment to see the look on Blaine's face as he hung up. Kurt had gotten right up from the table and taken Blaine to cuddle on their couch. The two were silent for a long time, Blaine in Kurt's lap, leaning heavily against Kurt's chest with the other man rubbing his thumb along Blaine's ribcage with one hand and placing little soothing kisses against his temple.

"I keep telling myself I've accepted this, that they might never change, that I can't control them," Blaine started eventually. He paused and Kurt kissed his temple a little harder but remained silent. "I keep telling myself that, and most of the time it's true, but – when they say stuff like that, I mean I thought my dad was really coming around you know?" I'm just so _tired_ of it. It makes me feel lost." He sighed and buried his face into Kurt's chest, taking slow steadying breaths of air in what Kurt could tell was an attempt not to break down completely.

Kurt made shushing noises and held onto Blaine, wishing there was something he could _say_ something, anything he could _do_ to make this better for Blaine. Never in his life did he wish harder for a magic wand than when the subject of Blaine's parents arose. If he couldn't fix this for Blaine, he'd do the next best thing, something that always made the pair of them feel better no matter what chaos went on around them – sing.

_Lying in my bed I hear the clocks tick, and think of you  
>Caught up in circles, confusion is nothing new<br>Flash back, warm night, almost left behind  
>Suitcase of memories<br>Time after_

Blaine shifted up to press a shaky kiss to Kurt's neck, just under his Adams apple as Kurt continued to sing. He hugged Blaine a little closer.

_Sometime you pictured me, I'm walking too far ahead  
>You're callin' to me, I can't hear what you've said<br>You said, "Go slow, I fall behind"  
>The second hand unwinds<em>

_If you're lost, you can look and you will find me,  
>Time after time<br>If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting  
>Time after time<em>

_I turn, my picture fades, and darkness has turned to grey  
>Watching through windows, you're wondering if I'm okay<br>Secrets, stolen, from deep inside  
>The drum beats out of time…<em>

_If you're lost you can look and you will find me  
>Time after time<br>If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting  
>Time after time<em>

_If you're lost, you can look and you will find me  
>Time after time<br>If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting  
>Time after time<br>Time after time_

"I love you," Blaine whispered, his voice barely audible, the words hushed and reverent.

"I love you too. Always," Kurt reassured, grateful that if he couldn't _fix_ anything, at least he could do this, and this seemed to be enough.

"Kurt, honey?" Carole's voice broke him out of his memory and he glanced up to see her looking curiously at him over a mostly empty plate of pancakes and scrambled eggs.

"Hmm? Sorry I zoned out for a moment."

"I was asking if you think we should head out soon to go meet with facilities manager guy at Dalton?" Finn looked up when his mother spoke and broke away from the baseball argument.

"Wait….I thought the party was tomorrow, oh crap, did I get the day wrong because I told Puck and Lauren it's tomorrow and I –" Carole held up her hand to quiet her son.

"Hold up sweetie. The party _is_ tomorrow. Kurt, Blaine, the girls and I are just going over today to make sure all the arrangements we've been making over the phone the past few weeks are good to go." Finn breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, good. I don't have to go, right?"

"No, you and Burt are both off wedding duty until tomorrow," Carole assured.

"Indeed, and then you are _both_ my –"Kurt paused when Blaine raised an eyebrow at him from across the table, "excuse me, _our_, you are both _our _slaves for the day." Everyone laughed. The sound of chairs scraping over linoleum filled the room as everyone got up from the table and began a hurried shuffle to clean up and start the day.

Soon enough the five pulled into the driveway leading up to the Dalton Academy gate, Blaine in the front seat directing Carole as she drove.

"Is this a school or a castle?" Amber wondered aloud as Carole parked.

"Both," joked Blaine fondly. Kurt nodded in agreement and intertwined his fingers with Blaine's once they were out of the car and walking up the steps to the entrance of the school. "It's kind of strange to be back here after all this time, I feel like I'm seventeen again."

"Have you not been back to visit at all?" Gil asked.

"Once, with Thad and Trent and some of the other Warbler guys, but I don't get out to Westerville much other than to see my parents and that's never for very long," Blaine's tone turned a bit sour at the mention of his parents and Kurt gave his hand a soothing squeeze.

Once they were inside they walked quietly down the mostly empty halls, only a few tense-faced students passed by them as the rest were in classrooms taking final exams. Upon her first sighting of a young freshman in full Dalton uniform Gil stifled a giggle and turned to Kurt.

"That? _You_ really wore _that_ when you went here?" She asked skeptically. Kurt shuddered darkly.

"At least the color scheme's decent," he said after a moment, "and, there's a plethora of accessories – sweaters, scarves, hats, the works. Those boxy blazers though, oh no." He clucked his tongue in distaste.

"Oh stop," Blaine teased, "You _love_ the blazer." Kurt shot him a scowl as a slight blush bloomed high in his cheekbones and he let out a grateful breath as they finally arrived at the Dean's Office.

"Good afternoon," greeted a kind looking older woman sitting behind a fine cherry wood desk once they entered the expansive space. "How may I help you today?"

"Good afternoon," answered Carole politely. "We're here to meet with the facilities manager regarding the space we're renting tomorrow for the Anderson-Hummel engagement party?"

"Oh yes, of course," the woman's eyes fell upon Blaine and Amber, "the happy couple I presume?"

Amber, who'd been thumbing through her purse in a quest to find her chapstick looked up sharply.

"Uh, no. Check out the clasped hands lady," The secretaries' eyes followed Amber's line of sight to where Kurt and Blaine were still holding hands, both with raised eyebrows.

"Oh! Oh, of course," the woman let out a nervous laugh. "I didn't even glance down! My apologies Messer's Hummel and Anderson. The note just said 'Anderson-Hummel engagement party meeting at two'."

Kurt waved her apology away, "No harm done." The older woman looked relieved.

"I suppose it's just going to take me a while to remember people like you two are actually allowed now." Kurt's smile tightened.

"Excuse me, but do happen to know when the Facilities Manager will be back? We'd like to get started," he asked, his tone a bit clipped.

"He'll be right back," she answered quickly. Someone phoned him and he had to deal with that but he'll be right in."

"_Wonderful_," said Kurt with narrowed eyes.

They waited with the sheepish looking receptionist for a few minutes until the heavy ornate doors to the office opened and a bright eyed middle aged man holding a clipboard entered the room.

"My apologies for being late Mr. Anderson, Mr. Hummel!" The man reached out and shook both Kurt and Blaine's hands. Everyone exchanged pleasantries as Blaine introduced the Manager – a Mr. Kauffman – to Carole, Amber and Gil. Once that was finished Mr. Kauffman lead the way out the door and down the hall, Gil's jaw dropping in awe as they rounded a corner and caught their first glance of an elaborate wrought iron design standing in stark contrast to a cream colored ceiling directly above a grand spiral stair case.

"Kurt and I met right here on this staircase," Blaine explained, his voice tinged with nostalgia.

"When he came to spy on the Warblers?" Gil prompted.

"Mhmm. Best idea our friend Puck's had to date," quipped Kurt.

"You should have heard him when he got back to the house that day. This was before Burt and I were married of course but the four of us had dinner together most of the time – and Kurt was just so excited, couldn't stop going on and on about this _Blaine_ and his dreamy voice," Carole teased.

"Yes, well, that's quite enough reminiscing for today I think," warned Kurt, smiling in spite of himself.

"It was just nice to see you happy," Carole reasoned.

"Here we are," explained Mr. Kauffman as they walked through a doorway, "Dalton Senior Commons. As you can see we've moved all the usual furniture out and put it the tables and centerpieces you ordered – very nice designs by the way Mr. Hummel."

"Oh look at those windows, they're gorgeous," gushed Gil.

"Is that a freakin' harp?" Amber asked, her voice caught between delight and disgust.

"Yes, and after a few disastrous attempts at playing it I decided to just stick with the piano and singing," explained Kurt.

"Of course. Is that why there's a stage?"

"Well, it would hardly be a party if there wasn't at least some opportunity to perform."

"Definitely," agreed Blaine.

"Do you two sing too?" Carole asked the girls.

"Only in the shower," joked Amber. Gil nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, my talents don't extend so much to that, but from what I've heard it seems like half of Ohio can belt it like nobody's business."

"Our Warblers and Warbler Alumni certainly can! As requested," Mr. Kauffman began, "the stage is outfit with an electric guitar, a drum set and a baby grand piano. Now let's move on to the seating chart." He flipped a few pages back on his clipboard. "I have one long rectangular table for eight in the front and six small round tables behind it, is that correct?"

"Yes," agreed Kurt, running his finger tips down red linen table cloths that adorned each table.

"As for the actual seating arrangements, I think there may be a typo in what you sent to me…" Kurt looked up. "I have at the front table a Finn Hudson, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Burt Hummel, Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, Wes Montgomery, Amber Conti and Gil Abbot…" he trailed off.

"I'm quite certain the seating chart I sent you is without error, Mr. Kauffman, the three hours I debated over how to place our friends Tina, Mike, Puck and Quinn respectively has that thing burned in my mind forever. Good practice for the wedding I suppose," Kurt informed him.

"Are you sure? Further on down the list, at the back table with a Will and Emma Schuester we have Perla and Gerald Anderson….which from our records Mr. Anderson, an Alumnus is Blaine here's father…surely you'd prefer your parents up at the front table?" He asked earnestly, turning to Blaine. Blaine's mouth opened and closed quickly and he didn't quite meet the other man's eyes when he replied.

"Actually, um, no. We're not sure they're…um, going to….to be able to make it, you know and…" he tried to explain, his tongue heavy in his mouth as he tripped over the words.

"Really I'd just pitch a memorable fit if I weren't included at the head table," Amber supplied, trying to break the tension that had quickly ensnared the conversation. Blaine barked out a little laugh and looked gratefully over at his friend.

"Alright, just checking," conceded Mr. Kauffman, "moving on to our menu…."

The six poured over the elaborate menu Kurt and Carole had created for the next ten minutes or so, Blaine chiming in when appropriate but Kurt could tell his heart really wasn't in it, despite his fiancé's best efforts. They'd been together so long he could practically see into Blaine's mind – he'd be willing to wager a considerable amount that Blaine was replaying the last conversation he'd had with his parents over in his mind. His mom had suddenly decided Kurt and Blaine were doomed to break up, that she'd read somewhere gay relationships never lasted very long and since Kurt and Blaine were each other's first real boyfriends it was just impossible that they'd stay together so they might as well save everyone the trouble of the wedding and end things now. Blaine had hung up on her, and yet – after all that, Kurt new that a part of Blaine still desperately wanted his parents to show up tomorrow. To be there for them, for him. Once they were finished fine-tuning the menu Mr. Kauffman suggested a sound check of the instruments and hurried off to find a technician. Blaine couldn't sit still as they waited for him to return. An idea struck Kurt and he tapped his fiancé on the shoulder.

"I know what'll make you feel better." Blaine looked at him questioningly.

"What? I'm fine. Totally fine."

"No. Your not, and that's okay." Blaine sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"So what's your idea?" Kurt cocked his head to the side, toward the stage and the electric guitar.

"Maybe you could make sure everything's in working order…?" Blaine looked delighted.

"Really?"

"Go." Blaine leaned in and kissed the top of Kurt's forehead. "Thank you," he whispered.

"Oh, awesome!" exclaimed Gil excitedly when Blaine got up and jumped on stage.

"This sort of thing is definitely one of the perks of having the kids home," Carole agreed. He grabbed the guitar and kicked on the speaker. He tweaked a few strings for a second and once he was satisfied he strummed a few chords before beginning to sing.

_I need you right here, by my side  
>You're everything I'm not in my life<br>We're indestructible, we are untouchable  
>Nothing can take us down tonight<br>You are so beautiful, it should be criminal  
>That you could be mine<em>

_And we will make it out alive  
>I'll promise you this love will never die<em>

_No matter what, I got your back  
>I'll take a bullet for you if it comes to that<br>I swear to God that in the bitter end  
>We're gonna be the last ones standing<em>

_So believe me when I say, you're the one  
>They'll never forgive us for the things we've done<em>

Kurt kept his eyes locked on the other man. Blaine hardly ever sang like this, raw and edgy and it was as much a love song as a 'fuck you' to his parents as anything else. Gil and Amber watched Blaine with elated grins, whooping and cheering him on but Carole – as perceptive as ever – worried her lower lip in her mouth and watched Blaine with a mixture of pride and heartbreak.

_We'll never fall, we'll never fade  
>I'll promise you forever and my sould today<br>No matter what until the bitter end  
>We're gonna be the last ones standing<em>

_And everybody said that we would never last  
>And if they saw us now I bet they'd take it back<br>It doesn't matter what we do or what we say  
>'Cause nothing matters anyway<em>

_We'll never fall  
>We'll never fade<br>No matter what until the bitter end  
>We're gonna be the last ones standing<em>

Blaine finished with bright, lively eyes – he'd poured all his frustration into the song and was now ready to roll with the rest of the day. He and Kurt grinned at each other, Kurt let out a relieved breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Blaine jumped off the stage and landed in Kurt's arms with an 'oomph.' They both laughed and Blaine buried his head in Kurt's shoulder. Kurt kissed his temple and turned his head – and caught a glimpse of a tightly pulled black bun hurrying away from the double doorway of the commons. Blaine noticed immediately when Kurt when slack in his arms.

"What's up?"

"Oh! Nothing. Um, I'll be right back – I just, I have to go check something," Kurt explained, searching his mind wildly for an excuse to leave.

"Should we come too?" Carole asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"Nope! Just me! I'll be right back, don't worry!" He and Carole exchanged a knowing look and Carole nodded. She motioned for Amber, Gil and Blaine to come and look at the different napkin arrangements and Kurt ducked out the door.

He knew that rigidly pinned hair anywhere, but if he was wrong he didn't want to let Blaine on for nothing. What on _Earth_ was Blaine's mom doing here? He followed the sound of clicking heels as he hurried down the hall, around the corner, through another hallway and finally found the source of the noise as he turned to the right and out the main doors into the Academy's parking lot.

"Mrs. Anderson!" he called.

"Wait!" he demanded. A pair of shoulders in a last season Ecru suit jacket tensed and hesitated. She turned around and looked icily at Kurt.

"Kurt?" Out of breath he clapped his hand over his chest.

"What's going on? Our engagement party is tomorrow…"

"I know," she answered tersely. Kurt waited for her to elaborate but she didn't. He scowled at her.

"So what, you know the party is tomorrow – and we _still_ have no idea if you and your husband are even coming, but you thought it'd be a good idea to just show up here at Dalton unannounced and…what, exactly? Check out our set up to see if it meets your approval? Then sneak out without so much as a hello to your son?"

"I – I…"

"I've been polite. I've been empathetic. I've tried my damnest to stay out of it, but can you not see how much you're hurting Blaine with all of this craziness? He really thought you were at least tolerant of us, but ever since we got engaged you've been a fucking nightmare!" Kurt yelled, nine months of pent up anger fueling his tone.

"You don't understand," Perla spat after a long moment.

"Then tell me. _Help_ me understand."

"This wasn't supposed to happen! He was supposed to grow out of this!"

"Grow out of it? For crying out loud he's been out for almost a decade now!"

"I know that! Don't you think I know that! He was so young, too young – how could you know something like that, then? Never experienced anything in the world but he was so _sure_ of that. He was _supposed_ to go to New York and get some life experience! Meet a nice girl and drop all of this nonsense. I could handle it all then, all of this 'gay' business –but now, now he wants to make a lifetime commitment! A spectacle out of himself. I'm only trying to protect him."

"Protect him? Well you've got a funny way of showing it. You guys barely spoke to him for a full fucking year after he came out except your husband's stupid bonding experiment with that damn car and you trying to set him up with Hanna! Oh what –"Kurt paused, taking in the surprised look on Perla's face, "you thought I didn't know that? _Of course I know that!_ We've been together for six and a half years and we talk about everything! You know why? Because. We. Love. Each. Other. We're getting married to each other!"

"Love. Hmphf," Perla snapped, she folded her arms over her chest, "and it takes a lot more than love to make a marriage work. It takes balance – how can you have balance when you're two men?"

"You know, maybe if you bothered to put any effort at all into getting to know me, or seeing Blaine and I together you'd have worked that out by now!"

"It'll never be normal! It'll never be accepted! People will always question."

"You're right, there will always be some people who look down on us, but really – neither Blaine nor I could really care about them. The only people Blaine really cares about having acceptance from is you! Do you have any idea what it's like to watch him try with you, over and over and over again only to get rejected?"

"Well if I'm such a bad mother why doesn't he just stop then, hmm? If he doesn't really see that his father and I have his best interest in mind!"

"He loves you. Homophobes or not he loves you – and I, I get that."

"How? Your parent's seem to be thrilled with your…circumstances….although I've never met your mother so I –" Kurt's head whipped around to look Perla straight in the eye, his voice cold and calculating with barely contained outrage.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised knowing you refer to Finn as 'the tall one' but, really? _Really? _You really don't remember Blaine telling you – that time you asked when I explained Carole is my step mother. My mother is dead, you buffoon." For the first time in the argument Perla looked slightly repentant.

"Oh," she said quietly, looking at the gravel of the parking lot.

"Yeah, "Oh." My mother died when I was eight years old – long before I figured out that I was gay – and while I'm about 99% sure she knew already, and that she accepted me fully – God even if she didn't I'd still want her in my life." Perla stared at him and he continued. "Death is final. Sure, I talk to her sometimes, but it's not the same. I can barely remember anything about her, but she was my mother and family means something to me. Even if I knew she'd hate me being gay, I would do _anything_, pay _any _price just to have her back in my life for just one more day, hell, one more hour. So I get that though it breaks Blaine's heart every time he talks to you lately – he still tries." Perla looked taken aback. "He tries and you and your husband just kick him in the gut."

"I'm just trying to spare him," Perla pleaded.

"Spare him of what?"

"Other people…" she tried.

"I don't know where you've been, but Blaine's been handling ignorant people and their nonsense just fine. He's the most courageous person I know! _We_ do just fine with the bully's in the world but the last thing he needs is to be bullied by his own fucking parents."

"We don't bully him," Perla said, looking offended. "His life will just be so much easier if he tried to fit in."

"Like you fit in? I've seen the way Mr. Anderson's parents treat you. You've been married for how long? Twenty –seven years? They still are awful to you, don't think we haven't noticed." Taken a back, Perla's eyes widened, her mouth opened but no sound came out.

"I, I…it's fine with Gerald's parents."

"Bullshit. Blaine and I had dinner with them last summer, and you know what they said? They warned Blaine against making any commitments with me lest he get stuck with me like Gerald got stuck with you! So yeah, I'm sure things are real fine." Perla Anderson looked lost, amazed and older than Kurt had ever seen her.

"_I_ can't change my heritage anyway," she admitted quietly. Kurt threw up his hands in exasperation.

"And Blaine can't change being gay!"

"Not that I'd want to," came Blaine's steady voice from about ten feet behind them. Kurt twisted around in horror. Of course Blaine had come looking for him. Blaine walked forward in sure, even steps and shook his head at his mother before turning to look at Kurt with blazing eyes. He wrapped his arms tightly around the other man and brought his mouth to Kurt's in an intense kiss. Kurt returned the kiss for all he was worth, gripping on to the back of Blaine's shirt to keep him steady. When Blaine finally pulled back his cheeks were flushed and he was out of breath. Kurt was fairly sure this was the first time Mrs. Anderson had ever seen them kiss.

"Blaine…." Perla began, but the words died in her mouth before any more could form. Blaine stepped back from Kurt but kept him close to his side, one arm snaked around Kurt's waist.

"I love being gay mom. Does it mean I have to deal with crap from homophobic people? Yes, but it's worth it because if I wasn't gay – I wouldn't have found Kurt. Kurt is my soul mate, and no matter how uncomfortable that makes you and dad – I'm proud of who I am and I'm proud of us. I've heard all of your 'reasons' for why you are against Kurt and I getting married and you know, I really only have one question: do you actually_ mean _any of them?" He stared at her, searching her eyes. Several long seconds passed by without a reply and Kurt growled in frustration. He shot her a look of deepest disgust and they turned to leave.

"No."

It was so quiet they nearly missed it.

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><p><strong>More soon guys! I have to be up in 5 hours for work so I'm calling it a night. Sorry for the endless delays.<strong>

**Reviews are absolutely, immensely, appreciated. **

**Follow me on Tumblr and bug me to update here [bluritoutalready].[tumblr].com**

**Songs in this part of the chapter are: Time After Time by Cindy Lauper and No Matter What by Papa Roach**


	24. Second Half of Chapter 17

**Oh hey it didn't take me another three weeks to update. Thank goodness. Read on for the rest of chapter 17. Totally unbeta'd so sorry for any errors.**

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><p>"No."<p>

It was so quiet they almost missed it.

Blaine's arm jerked around Kurt's waist and they were nearly set off balance. They slowly turned back to face her. Perla looked shocked at herself.

"No?" Blaine asked quietly.

"No. I mean, yes - I mean...I was always taught, but you - and, and him, and _they_blame me for...I just didn't want you to go through...," Perla stammered, starting and stopping as each attempt of explaining herself got muddled and stuck.

"They?" prompted Kurt, though he was fairly certain to whom 'they' was referring.

"I could never do anything right, and then, then you come and you tell us you're...that way..." Blaine watched her with hard eyes, piecing together the bits of abandoned thought she tossed at them.

"If there's one you've done right: it's Blaine. He's a _wonderful_man." Carole's voice cut through the parking lot as she suddenly appeared a few feet behind Blaine and Kurt. However kind her words, Perla didn't take them well. She rounded on the other woman.

"You! You stay out of it, he isn't your son!" She screeched.

"He's as good as. Just like Kurt! I may have only given birth to one child, but I have _three_ sons _and_a daughter now!"

"Carole, _mom_..." Carole's eyes widened as Blaine addressed her as 'mom' for the first time. He'd called her Mrs. H for such a long time, though she'd been telling him he could address her as Carole or mom for years. Perla looked on in bewilderment between Blaine and Carole - at this other person, someone she barely knew, was referred to by her son with the same sacred moniker as herself. Carole's expression softened considerably as she turned to him. "Thank you," he paused, "Kurt, Carole - I, I need to speak to my mother alone for a minute." Kurt opened his mouth to protest but Carole pulled on the back of his jacket.

"Come on, Kurt. Blaine dear we'll just be right inside with the girls, okay?"

"Okay. Kurt, baby, it's - I know."

"Blaine, Blaine but you don't have to -"

"I need to talk to her myself, I just, I have to do this on my own. I'll be right in." Kurt looked mutinous and torn but nodded.

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too." With a last, long glance Kurt let Carole turn him around and steer him back inside. Everything seemed to be coming to a head. Every inch of him wanted to shake Carole's grip off of his arm and run back outside with Blaine. Be with Blaine, stand up for him, protect him. Yet...a part of him understood Blaine's need to confront this on his own.

Kurt didn't need to fight Blaine's battles for him, he just needed to know Kurt would be there to catch him, ground him, prop him back up when he got knocked down. Kurt remembered the first time Blaine did that for him - right after he'd been voted for Prom Queen his junior year. Blaine was there, offering himself for whatever Kurt needed - and Kurt need a sounding board, a way to process his thoughts so he could figure out what _he_wanted to do, how he wanted to handle the situation. He didn't need Blaine to tell him what to do, just knowing Blaine was still there - that he was sticking around through the chaos gave him the strength to go up to that podium on his own and address his whole class and let them know they couldn't break him.

He and Carole made their way back to the Senior Commons where a very confused Amber, Gil and Mr. Kaufman sat around the head table.

"Is everything alright?" Mr. Kaufman asked concernedly.

"Yeah what's goin' on?" Gil and Amber seconded, looking anxiously at Kurt's watery eyes and Carole's steely expression.

"Uh...Blaine's mom is here." Amber's eyes darted toward the doorway, as if she was hoping to see something through the wood. Carole cleared her throat loudly.

"Mr. Kaufman, it would appear we're in the market for a distraction. Is there anything else you'd like to go over with us?" Carole asked. Mr. Kaufman hesitated and looked through his clipboard.

"Well, ah...I think we have everything covered...but you know I'm actually the historian for this school and I could tell you some very interesting lore regarding these paintings right here to our left…."

Meanwhile Blaine stared at his mother, trying to sort out his racing thoughts in to some form of coherence. She looked more anxious than he'd ever seen her – the whole Anderson family prided themselves on being put together, in check, 'adult.' With wild, panicked eyes, too much blush and shuffling feet, Blaine didn't think he'd ever seen his mother look more like a lost little girl or a bitter old woman.

"Do you want to tell me what all this is really about?" he asked after what felt like an eternity.

"I…" She paused. He waited. "I don't know what to say."

"Why don't you try the truth?"

"Are you sure this –"she gestured behind him, towards Kurt, "– is what you really want?"

"Yes." More silence. Perla nodded, mostly to herself rather than Blaine.

"He makes you happy?"

"We're made for each other. I don't _need_ Kurt to be happy, it's not like that – I _want_ him. I want him, I _chose_ him. I love him and he _loves_ me."

"He must to put up with all this…" Perla conceded. The admission was so unexpected Blaine nearly laughed.

"So Grandmother and Grandfather blame you for me being gay?"

"I was always taught not to speak ill of my elders…" she began hesitantly. Blaine was about to come back with a nasty reply when she continued. "Your father's parents hated it when we got married. He wasn't supposed to come back from a three-week work trip with a wife." Blaine listened intently, he'd never heard much of his parent's early days as a couple.

"You and dad got married after only knowing each other three weeks?" he asked incuriously. "But…dad's so…"

"He was more adventurous when he was younger," Perla reasoned. "Actually we got married after knowing each other two weeks – the last week of his trip was our honeymoon of sorts. I packed up my whole life. We came back to the States – to Ohio, to his apartment on the east side of town. Your grandparents were furious. Gerald had only just broken off his relationship with a woman he dated all of college – a blonde named Bethany they approved of. I – I was too foreign. Too different. Not white. Three days after Gerald took me to meet them Evelyn showed up at our apartment when your father was at work and offered me a check for ten thousand dollars to get an annulment, or a divorce, or just get on a plane and go back to the Philippines. That was a lot of money in those days and after all, what else could I be after but her families' money?" She laughed, biting and bitter.

"They accused Kurt of being after our – your – their – money too," Blaine interjected.

"I never told your father about that."

"I tried. I tried so hard to be good enough for him, in their eyes. I learned how to be an American. I took classes to lose my accent. I learned how to cook the way they liked. Nothing changed until I got pregnant with you. Marcus was so…angry at first. Told your dad he was an idiot and stuck with me now…but then, but then you were born – and you were perfect. Angel of a child – big, handsome hazel eyes – your grandmother called you a heartbreaker from the start. It was my job to raise you right."

"Why doesn't dad just tell them to back off or go to hell?"

"He…I don't know, his grand rebellion was marrying me in the first place. After you were born, things were going so well – hardly a hiccup. You've had mountains of charm and charisma since you were a toddler, and so smart and thoughtful, not a brat like other children, never gave us any trouble… things were so _easy_…until,"

"Until I came out and ruined the whole thing," Blaine finished bluntly.

"You were so young! I didn't know what to think. I never met a gay before – just seen them on television, read about AIDS in the paper in the 80's and 90's. Your dad didn't want to tell your grandparents –"

"I remember that," Blaine interrupted, "he told me it was private and none of their business that time they spent the weekend at our house right after I came out…"

"But then, then you just had to go to that dance with that _boy_."

"Don't," Blaine snapped, "don't you dare. I had every right to go to that dance – Alex and I did _nothing_ wrong."

"Sorry," she apologized, eyes downcast, "but you went and you got hurt."

"I was assaulted. Three older kids beat the crap out of Tyler and broke my nose and Alex's arm. It's how I ended up here," he hissed, jerking his hand back towards the Academy.

"It's also how your grandparents found out about your….preference."

"Mom, it's not a preference it's –"

"Damn it Blaine, I'm trying here. Do you need to nitpick ever thing I say?"

"Fine. So that's how they found out? Through the town gossip of the two fags getting beaten up at the Sadie Hawkins dance?" Perla winced at his use of the epithet.

"Yes. They never said anything to you about it though did they? No, they directed everything at me! Everyone says – it's the mothers fault. I was too overbearing! Too this, too that! I coddled you and you dad didn't spend enough time with you – that's what everyone said was why this was happening to you. I couldn't bear the thought that I had done this to you."

"You didn't do this to me. It's not your fault that I'm gay Mom."

"I – I know that…now, but then – I didn't know what to do. After those months of trying to help you find the right girl I broke down and bought a book, it said it was just a phase most boys grow out of, I just had to ignore it and it would go away. Your father should spend more time with you and I shouldn't be so soft with you anymore. So that's what we did."

"Well, that explains dad's sudden interest with cars the summer I was fifteen."

"I think I always knew, somewhere, that…that this was it. You are this way, but it's such a _difficult_ life Blaine – so I hoped. I hoped that if I did everything right you'd….come away from this and everything would be okay. When you went off to school it was…it was almost easy, to pretend…"

"To pretend what? That Kurt doesn't exist? That I'm not gay?" Blaine demanded.

"But then you call and you tell us you're getting married and…it was all so real again. I couldn't handle it."

"I don't get it though. Dad is okay with it, and if it's dad's parents that hate gay people so much – why is he okay with it and you can't be?"

"It's selfish, but I guess a part of me is still hoping for your grandparent's approval," she whispered, her voice heavy with shame.

"And that'll never happen as long as I'm with Kurt," Blaine surmised. "Well I'm sorry mom, I really am sorry you've had to go through all of that – and it sounds like you've dealt with most of it alone, which I'm sure is hard – but I'm not giving up Kurt to make your life easier."

"I know!" cried Perla as she wiped her eyes and smudged her mascara. "I'm still not sure I…I fully understand everything about you being, you being gay…but, God, Kurt said we bullied you and I – I guess we did. All I've ever wanted is to be a good mother to you, but I've failed you in so many ways." Blaine took a deep breath and reached for his mother's hand. She looked astonished at the gesture, touching was so rare in their family.

"I love you, mom. I want you, and dad, to be a part of my life – of Kurt and my life together, but I can't deal with this back and forth anymore, it's not fair to me and it isn't fair to Kurt. I don't think you're a terrible parent or that our relationship is ruined forever: I do need for things to change though. Here and now. I know it's difficult for you to understand and this is hard for you but I will not compromise myself anymore. I want to live my life authentically and with integrity – and that means being out and proud. If you want to be part of our lives, you and dad are going to have to accept that." She nodded.

"You're right, yes, okay. God, I'm so sorry honey, I'm so so sorry for…all of this shit," she pleaded tearfully, holding on to Blaine's hand like an anchor. He pulled her to him, wrapping his free hand around her back while she chanted "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," against his shoulder. It was an unsettling feeling, having his parent apologize to him. Part of him felt vindicated, most of him felt sad and the rest an odd mixture of personal absolution and long held-on to guilt washing away inside of him.

"Mom, shh, stop. I just, I wanna move on okay? I know that all of this can't be resolved in a day – in one conversation after nine years, I just want to know that things are going to change."

"I'll work on it. I don't want to lose you. I love you, I'm so proud of you, of the man you've become," she insisted earnestly. It was different than all the (handful) of times she'd ever told him she was proud of him – this time she wasn't just proud of a 'part' of him, his brains, his talent, his perseverance when it came to law school – she was proud of him as a human being, as her son. Blaine had been waiting to hear that for as long as he could remember.

"So you'll come tomorrow? And you'll bring dad?" Blaine asked.

"We'll be there," she assured. "I'm not sure how I'm going to face Kurt tomorrow, but we'll be there."

"I'll talk to Kurt," Blaine informed her, "tell him to keep the claws away –"

"I deserved them."

"Even so, he knows how much, how much I want this."

"Thank you for not giving up on me Blaine." Unsure of how to respond Blaine swallowed the harsh lump in his throat and blinked back a few tears. He settled on giving her hand another squeeze. They both watched their interlocked fingers for a long moment and then parted. Perla dug a tissue out of her suit pocket and blew her nose hastily. "I should go. Kurt – they're all waiting for you inside."

"Okay," breathed Blaine, still feeling quite overwhelmed.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Five o'clock right?"

"Right." She leaned in once more and kissed the side of his cheek – something she hadn't done since he was very small; turned on her heel and set off towards her car at a brisk place. Blaine raised his hand over to where she kissed him and held his fingers over the spot for a long moment. After several deep, steadying breathes he turned back toward the campus and headed inside to find Kurt, Carole, Amber and Gil.

Kurt rushed at him the moment he entered the doorway, wrapping him in his arms and holding on tight. Blaine returned the gesture with just as much feeling.

"I'm, I'm sure exactly what happened, " he confessed, "but I have a feeling things are going to be different, better, now on." Kurt mirrored his weary smile and they closed their eyes, foreheads meeting as they took a moment to just hold on and breathe together. There would certainly be obstacles, but Blaine felt more comfortable in his skin at that moment than he had since he was a small child, back when he thought his parents were super heroes and the world offered nothing but possibilities. He felt whole.

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><p><strong>Hmm, wasn't the actual party supposed to be in this chapter? Well – it isn't: it's going to be in 18 because this was getting hella long and there's a lot of good things happening at the party. Yes – Pluff (plot specific fluff) is coming! And sex! And other good happy things! And yes Blaine and <strong>_**both **_**of his parents will talk about all this more, but not to this extent and things are definitely moving in a positive direction for the three of them, I assure you. **

**Thanks you for the absolutely lovely reviews and PM's for the first half of this chapter I posted yesterday. It really touched my heart. If you feel so inclined, please review this as well.**


	25. Chapter 18

**Oh look - I'm not dead. **

****I am so sorry this has taken so long. There was a massive series of unfortunate events including me breaking my laptop and losing this entire chapter just as I was finished with it, as well as the completed final chapter and epilogue, and my story board and chapter by chapter calendar and well... everything. It took a really long time to do everything over again and I've only had my families computer to work with and as this story is "adult" that didn't really work. The second 1/2 of this chapter was actually typed out on my Cell Phone of all things. Anyway, I am happy to publish this chapter and am super grateful if you're still here to read it. Thank you lovelies.****

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><strong><strong>

**June, 2017**

****"Having the engagement party at Dalton just made perfect sense," Carole explained to her sister Meredith and brother-in-law Bob as they entered the living room – where Kurt and Mercedes jointly perfecting Quinn, Amber, Gil, Tina, and Lauren's hair as they perched on kitchen stools and let the two work.

"It's where we met," Kurt called in agreement, giving Quinn's short bob a final sprits of hairspray and declaring it finished. Moving on to let Tina's long mane out of the jumbo sized curlers he flashed the middle-aged couple a giddy smile.

"Never would have met if it weren't for me!" Interjected Puck proudly, entering the crowded space and adjusting his collar.

"Yes, yes, we know, thank you Noah. Save your speech for the wedding okay?"

"As if anyone gets tired of that story," challenged Puck. Meredith and Bob looked semi-interested and with a mostly fond but a little irritated from hearing this story again groan the rest listened to Puck regale Carole's family with the tale of the trip to spy on the "Garglers" Kurt's junior year. Puck finished the story with a self satisfied smirk while Meredith and Bob cooed at the sweetness of the two boys meeting. Even Kurt was grinning as he pretended not to listen and wrestled bobby pins into Lauren's hair.

"Yeah, so basically I'm responsible for all of this," Puck finished, gesturing to the assembled party.

"We would have met eventually either way, I'm sure of it," cut in Blaine, appearing alongside Finn and Kevin.

"Yeah we were teamed up against the Warblers for sectionals that year, remember? They could have met then…" observed Finn. Everyone blinked at Finn's surprisingly accurate memory. "Or something…"

"I guess," conceded Puck, "still wouldn't have been as puke-worthily cute as what actually happened." Kurt grimaced.

"Well, with that, er, crass assessment, I think we're done here."

"If I could just get this one piece to – shit – stay still!" Mercedes cursed through gritted teeth, holding her tub of shaping putty dangerously in a closed fist as though she might just toss it if Gil's cowlick wouldn't cooperate. "There!" she exclaimed triumphantly.

"Yeah, yeah, you're all beautiful, but we're going to be late if we keep dawdling with hair junk," explained Burt. The assemblage of friends and family quickly divided into a few small groups and piled into cars for the trip to Dalton. The other guests would meet them there. Kurt couldn't believe how excited he felt – this was only their engagement party, what would the wedding be like? He lamented the fact that there was still over a year until the wedding. Damn practicality – saving up for the truly fabulous wedding he'd been planning since grade school and agreeing they should wait until Blaine finished Law School. Still, he'd marry Blaine tomorrow if it came down to it.

Kurt shook himself out of his thoughts because they'd arrived already, the small fleet of cars pulling into the expansive Dalton Parking lot. A flurry of movement and they're all out of the car and hurrying across the lot and into the building. Finn on the phone with the Berrys, giving them some last minute directions as their GPS conked out right before the exit; Mercedes and Tina on speaker phone with Jay and Detroit who were sent out to pick up the cake (Almond Sour Cream cake with Amaretto Mocha Buttercream frosting); and David and Thad (with Angela and Hannah in tow) running around the corner with Wes close behind them.

"Blaine!" Called Wes cheerfully. Kurt let go of Blaine's hand and let his fiancé dash to embrace his best friend.

"Too long man, too long," sighed Blaine, his voice slightly muffled from Wes' grip on him. Wes agreed immediately and gave Blaine's shoulders another squeeze before letting go and turning to give Kurt a hug.

"Congratulations Kurt! Today is a long time coming that's for sure."

"Thank you," replied Kurt, "how are you anyway – how's California? School? Esperanza?"

"Good. Long. Fantastic. Can't wait for you and Blaine to meet her – she would have loved to come but – "

"She's spending the summer doing a research project in Ciudad Juarez," Kurt finished for him, "Blaine told me." Wes nodded. Kurt kissed Blaine's cheek before turning to greet the others and give Blaine a few minutes alone with his best friends.

"Kurt this place looks amazing," gushed Mercedes, grabbing him at the elbow and steering him into the party area.

"Thank you sweetheart," replied Kurt, "planning a party in Ohio from New York was…a challenge, but I didn't doubt my ability to pull it off."

"At least you knew the layout of the commons from when you went here."

"Indeed. This is my favorite place at Dalton, lots of good memories here," he explained nostalgically. "See those doors in the back corner? There's a study room there where Blaine and I first kissed."

"Aww," cut in Tina as she appeared at their side.

"Our boys figure out where the hell they were going with that cake?" Mercedes asked.

"They should be here any minute," she confirmed cheerfully.

"I think almost everyone's here," Mercedes observed. Kurt looked around the room.

"Once Jay and Detroit get here we'll only be missing…Blaine's parents," he said slowly. Tina frowned.

"Do you think they might not show?"

"They better show," warned Kurt testily. "After everything that happened yesterday."

"Mr. Hummel?" Mr. Kaufman, the facilities manager interrupted.

"Yes?"

"We're having some slight wiring issues and –"

"Oh for heaven's sake, let me see!" Kurt huffed, making a beeline for the stage in the front of the room, Mr. Kaufman following after.

"Oh look – Blaine's parents," whispered Quinn who'd made her way over to where Mercedes and Tina stood.

Blaine led his parents into the common room. Finn shuffled up to meet him.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, I'm uh, glad you could make it and everything," he said as he offered his hand – looking to Blaine for guidance. His father shook Finn's hand but looked at Blaine as well.

"You remember Finn, _Kurt's step-brother_, right dad? Mom?" Blaine supplied.

"Right," answered Gerald, relieved. "We've met before."

"A couple times," Finn agreed, "but there's a lot of people here you don't probably know. I mean there's my aunt and her husband and Burt's brother and his wife," he explained, using his height to see well over the crowd and point people out. "And that's…..uh, Thad and, um, Hannah – oh! But you probably know those dudes since they went to school with Blaine right?"

"Thad and Hannah's parents live in our neighborhood, we've known their families for years," Perla confirmed. Blaine breathed a sigh of relief – so far so good. His parents looked a bit leery of Finn's fondness for referring to people as "dudes," but in the past they'd taken to Finn more than anyone else in Kurt's family and Blaine was grateful that either Finn had taken it upon himself to steer Blaine's parents around the room or (more likely) Kurt had wheeled him into it before hand.

He was about to detach himself from his parents side when Finn's introductory lesson on party-goers made its way to the head table.

"Okay so head table. You've got me, as Head Bro you know, then our parents, Blaine of course, Wes – at least I think that's his name, then Amber –" he paused to point at the brunette who was currently chatting with the Schuesters, "and at the end opposite me is Kurt's friend Gil."

"Jill? It looks more like a Jill-bert than a Jill to me," Gerald muttered with a small chuckle. Finn frowned.

"That's not cool, dude. Gil's a really awesome girl." Blaine closed his eyes in frustration.

"Alright – come with me," he hissed to his parents. Finn offered him a sympathetic look and turned towards the refreshments table. The Andersons eyebrows rose but they followed their son.

"What did we do now?" Gerald demanded in annoyance. Blaine was not amused.

"Listen. I really don't have the time to give you two a 101 on how not to be assholes to trans people….just….. Gil is one of Kurt's closest friends. She's a woman and should be referred to as such. You will be respectful to her or you'll keep your mouth shut – and if you can't manage that you should both leave now." Ruffled, Perla frowned and hastily smoothed out some nonexistent wrinkles in her dress.

"Fine. Fine. I'm sure…she….is, ah, lovely," she appeased. His father nodded. After a moment Perla regained her stony composure. "You need to watch your tone though, young man." Blaine let her have the last word – as long as they didn't say anything horrible to Gil he could deal.

"Right. Let me just show you to your seats and then I need to go find Kurt." He took them to the last table in the back of the room and introduced them to Will and Emma. Perla and Gerald looked pleased to be seated next to such a normal, ordinary couple. Blaine sighed, things with his parents were changing, but it wasn't going to be an overnight transformation.  
>The parental situation now under control Blaine crossed the room to find a harassed looking Kurt and Burt fussing over the wiring behind the stage.<br>"What's the matter?" Blaine asked. Kurt didn't answer him right away, choosing instead to glare at a bunch of wires leading from the speakers.

"Yesterday!" Kurt hissed under his breath, "We were here checking these yesterday!"

"Stuff going wrong is good luck," Burt tried to sooth.

"Rain on your wedding day is good luck, dad, not faulty wiring at your engagement party!" Kurt scolded impatiently.

"Same idea," challenged Burt.

"Everything else is ready – we're good to start except we might burn down the building!" Grumbled Kurt.

"Listen," said Burt evenly, turning to look at Blaine. "That Kaufman guy said that the electrician will be here in a second, and I know you're just going to stress and freak out until it's fixed so why don't you two go find something to do for like 20 minutes okay?"

"All our guests –" Kurt protested.

"Can wait – and will probably be happier if they don't have you stalking around like a cat skulking after a mouse while the electrical guys fix things." Kurt sighed.

"Fine. Blaine let's go….walk around or something," he agreed reluctantly. Blaine grinned at him, not troubled at all by the delay.

"I know just where to go," he said softly, taking Kurt by the hand and leading him out of the room.

"Where are we going?" asked Kurt, a slight whine to his voice as he was still annoyed that after all his careful planning problems still arose. Hell if Blaine's parents could cooperate why couldn't the damn wiring?

"Shh," hushed Blaine as he pulled Kurt along, a mischievous glint in his eyes. They rounded a corner and Blaine tapped his fingers on his free hand along the wall, drumming along until they came upon another wooden door that looked like all the others with one small exception – a silver "Maintenance" sign upon the door. Blaine's fingers wrapped around the handle and with a sharp tug to the right the door popped open. Catching on, Kurt giggled.

"I can't believe they still haven't fixed that door," he noted as Blaine led them inside the small (but thankfully pristine) room. Blaine leaned in close and began to whisper in a sing-song voice into Kurt's ear.

_I wanna lock you up in my closet when no one's around_  
><em>I wanna put your hand in my pocket because you're allowed<em>  
><em>I wanna drive you into the corner and kiss you without a sound<em>  
><em>I wanna stay this way forever , I'll say it loud<em>

Kurt laughed before kissing his fiancé swiftly to shut him up.

"Avril Lavigne? Really?" He teased. Blaine kissed him softly, running his tongue along Kurt's bottom lip and making him shiver.

"Hey, you still recognized the lyrics," he teased back. "_You make me so hot_," he sang softly against Kurt's earlobe, wrapping his arms around the other man and driving him back against the slate wall. Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's hips and growled as he flipped them around.

"_Make me wanna dro_p," he sang back between nibbles to Blaine's jaw line and neck, right above where Blaine's bow-tie met his body, "_It's so ridiculous – I can barely sto_p." Blaine gasped as Kurt licked at his Adam's apple.

"_I can hardly breathe_," he gasped out.

"_You make me wanna screa_m," growled Kurt.

"_You're so fabulous_."

"_You're so good to me, bab_y," crooned Kurt, licking his way up to Blaine's earlobe.

"_You're so good to me, baby, baby_," Blaine repeated. He reached for the collar of Kurt's shirt but Kurt pulled away.

"No time, if we're going to do this you have to find a way not to ruin our clothes."

"Challenge accepted," replied Blaine slyly. He glanced around the small room, his eyes lighting up as he found a clean, sturdy-looking wooden box in the corner and pulled Kurt to it by the belt loop. He sat on the box and pouted his lips to get Kurt to lean forward and kiss him. Kurt complied readily; pressing his lips to Blaine's partially opened mouth and sliding his tongue inside. Blaine groaned and sucked on Kurt's tongue, his hands finding their way to paw at Kurt's ass through his designer slacks. They pulled away only when they were both breathless. Blaine kissed him once more chastely on the lips before sliding his hands around to unbuckle Kurt's belt. Or, at least, try to unbuckle Kurt's belt.

"Did you design this?" he asked as he fumbled with the contraption.

"Yeah," replied Kurt with a giggle.

"I'll never understand why you design stuff to make it _harder_ for me to undress you."

"Worth the effort though?"

"Absolutely," answered Blaine triumphantly as he finally got it undone and zipper of Kurt's now tented pants down.

"Good." Kurt shivered as Blaine dragged his pants and briefs down a few inches, just enough to free his erection from the tight pants. Having sex pretty much fully clothed was a challenge, but he wasn't about to risk taking any of his clothes fully off in the tiny maintenance closet. Actually, with his tie still done up tight and the garnet adorned cuff-links Blaine wore clinking around his wrists, it was kind of hot. Blaine dug his fingers into Kurt's bare ass and brought Kurt's cock up to his mouth, licking his lips and pulling it inside. Forgetting the need to be quiet Kurt groaned richly as Blaine's silky tongue caressed the underside of his cock.

"Fuck," he swore, his eyes hazy but concentrated on Blaine's pink mouth enveloping his cock as it slid up and down his length.

"Beriofq," Blaine mumbled.

"Hmm?" Asked Kurt distractedly, trying to keep his hands on Blaine's shoulders so he didn't mess up his hair – a task that proved incredibly difficult.

"Be quiet," Blaine cautioned, pulling off of him for a moment, "We don't need your parents or – Jesus – my parents, knowing I'm blowing you in here."

"It was your idea," reminded Kurt cheekily. Blaine pinched his ass.

"Just try and stay quiet," he instructed before taking Kurt in his mouth again. His hands slid down Kurt's ass to pull at his thighs, pushing them forward and letting Kurt know it was okay to fuck his mouth. Kurt moaned and adjusted his hands to affix them to a set of metal bars along the smooth wall to give him a steadier grip. Blaine relaxed his jaw and Kurt thrust forward. Blaine swallowed around him and Kurt had to close his eyes – if he kept watching Blaine he'd come immediately. They had limited time, yes, but Blaine was good at this – so good – Kurt wasn't ready for it to be over just yet. Kurt's hips worked quickly, pumping forward and back into the tight, wet heat of Blaine's mouth.

"I'm - unfh - so glad I'm marrying you," Kurt groaned blissfully. Blaine hummed happily around Kurt's cock in response, the vibrations sending jolts of pleasure through him. Kurt thrust harder into Blaine's mouth as he felt every muscle inside of himself tighten and Blaine sucked on him with renewed vigor. Kurt chanced opening his eyes and found Blaine staring intently back at him, flushed cheeks and wet lips as Kurt continued to slide forward and back. That was it, one look at Blaine's gaze through his long, dark eyelashes and Kurt came. Blaine's throat worked him through it and only pulled off when Kurt began to feel oversensitive. Blaine pulled his handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and wiped his mouth. Kurt barely stopped himself from running his hand through his own hair.

"Just, just give me a second then it's your turn," he panted, adjusting himself and pulling up his briefs and pants (redoing his belt without any trouble). Blaine nodded dreamily and took the second to catch his breath as well.

"We don't have much time…" Kurt grinned and pulled Blaine by the hand into a standing position. He kissed him hard on the mouth.  
>"I'll just have to see how fast I can make you come," he breathed against Blaine's lips. He spun them around and sat on the box, yanking Blaine forward, unhooking the clasps on his suspenders and unbuttoning his pants. With enthusiasm, he reciprocated and Blaine came soon after with Kurt's tongue sliding along the tip of his dick.<br>Giggling madly the two put themselves back together after and hurried back to the party fingers interlaced.

"All fixed?" Kurt asked his father airily as they reentered the room.

"Ready to roll kiddo," answered Burt with a thumbs up. "Where have you two been? You were gone almost half an hour…"

"Oh nowhere, just around," was Kurt's lip-bitten response. The flush on Blaine's face threatened to give them away but Kurt just tugged him by the hand up the stage and grabbed a hold of the shiny silver microphone. The assembled guests quieted their conversations and sat politely as Kurt beamed out at them.

"Hello out there!" He squealed, his voice clear and high in his excitement. "As you all hopefully know by now – I'm Kurt Elizabeth Hummel and this is my wonderful fiancé, Blaine Marcus Anderson. Thank you so much for coming. Blaine and I are thrilled that you could all come celebrate our engagement with us –" he paused.

"Kurt and I know that some of you have traveled far to get here today," Blaine continued, "In more than one way. It means a lot to us that each and every one of you are here. We'll save the big long speeches for the actual wedding, so for now – let's party!" The crowd whooped and cheered (with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson clapping politely). Kurt and Blaine bowed their heads and then jumped off the stage to take their seats at the head table.

Everyone sat and chatted, a few minutes into the party waiters in Dalton blazers entered the room and doled out sparkling glasses of champagne and little hor's devours to the party-goers. Bubbly chatter filled the room as everyone dug in and gossiped with their tablemates. Ten minutes later the waiters came back and cleared away the small plates from the first course and refilled everyone's champagne glasses. In the in between Tina stood from her table with Detroit, Quinn and Kevin and made her way up to the front of the stage.

"Hi everybody," she greeted the crowd. "I know most of you out there, but I'm Tina. I went to school with Kurt and we've been friends since our first Glee Club meeting together! It's really hard for me to remember a time when Kurt and Blaine weren't together. Even when they've been separated for work or school they're still Kurt and Blaine – two halves of a whole. Kurt asked me to sing today and we got to talking about love and while you can't really define love – you know it when you feel it. This is for you guys." She tittered slightly nervous at the crowd but flipped on the switch on the speakers and began to sing, her voice soft and warm, like a mother waking her child on a Sunday morning.

_I've been awake for a while now_  
><em>You've got me feelin' like a child now<em>  
><em>'Cause every time I see your bubbly face<em>  
><em>I get the tingles in a silly place<em>  
><em>And it starts in my toes<em>  
><em>And I crinkle my nose<em>  
><em>Wherever it goes<em>  
><em>I always know<em>  
><em>That you make me smile<em>  
><em>Please stay for a while now<em>  
><em>Just take your time<em>  
><em>Wherever you go<em>  
><em>The rain is falling on my window pane<em>  
><em>But we are hiding in a safer place<em>  
><em>Under covers staying dry and warm<em>  
><em>You give me feelings that I adore<em>  
><em>But what am I gonna say<em>  
><em>When you make me feel this way<em>  
><em>I just mmmmm<em>  
><em>And they start in my toes<em>  
><em>Makes me crinkle my nose<em>  
><em>Wherever it goes<em>  
><em>I always know<em>  
><em>That you make me smile<em>  
><em>Please stay for a while now<em>  
><em>Just take your time<em>  
><em>Wherever you go<em>  
><em>I've been asleep for a while now<em>  
><em>You tuck me in just like a child now<em>  
><em>'Cause every time you hold me in your arms<em>  
><em>I'm comfortable enough to feel your warmth<em>  
><em>And it starts in my soul<em>  
><em>And I lose all control<em>  
><em>When you kiss my nose<em>  
><em>The feeling shows<em>  
><em>'cause you make me smile baby<em>  
><em>Just take your time now<em>  
><em>Holdin' me tight<em>  
><em>Wherever wherever wherever you go<em>  
><em>Wherever wherever wherever you go<em>

Blaine placed his hand atop of Kurt's on the table and leaned over to give him a lingering kiss as Tina sang the final notes. He pulled back and nuzzled his cheek against Kurt's, kissing him on the nose and making Kurt laugh. Tina clapped along with the rest of the guests and hopped off stage just as the waiters arrived with dinner.

"For weird healthy food, this isn't so bad," Finn offered between mouthfuls of cauliflower mashed potatoes.

"I'm glad you like it," replied Kurt, not that I'd ever tell you what's really in it, he finished in his head –Finn normally hated cauliflower.

"Rachel's been texting me every two minutes since we got here. She's really bummed she couldn't come." Kurt frowned sympathetically.

"I know. She practically told me we couldn't have the party without her but seeing as her show will hopefully not close for a long, long time, eventually she acquiesced that having the party before Blaine began his internship and while I have vacation time to spare made sense. I do miss having her here."

"Me too." Finn got up from the table to refill his plate and motioned for Kurt to follow him. "Can you keep a secret?" He asked. Kurt cocked his eyebrow up.  
>"Um…yes…why?" He asked suspiciously.<p>

"I know today is your day and it's just about you and Blaine and it's special and everything but I just have to tell someone because if I don't I'm gonna freak out even more and –"  
>"Whoa! Slow down cowboy. What is it?"<p>

"You know how Rachel's play opens at the beginning of August?"

"Rachel practically got the date tattooed on her forehead, yes I'm aware."

"After her first show," Finn paused dramatically, "Imgonnaaskhertomarryme." Kurt gasped audibly and Brittany and Gil, who had been talking a few feet behind them, stopped to stare at them. Kurt pulled Finn by the arm away from the food (Finn went but looked pretty mutinous about it) to a slightly more private area of the room.

"Really!" He asked excitedly. Finn nodded.

"I love her, and I've been thinking about it for ages now – she's certainly been hinting that it's time, and you know Rach isn't exactly subtle if I can pick up on it – and, I want it to be special so what could be more special than after her debut as _Barbra_?"

"It's perfect." After a pause his expression clouded. "Are you sure about this Finn? You and Rachel are great and - you know I love you both dearly - but you two have broken up more times than Elizabeth Taylor was married..." Finn considered the statement for a long moment.

"I know. We've definitely had our ups and downs but...we always find our way back to each other, ya know? I dunno, I'm not as elephant as -"

"Elephant? Elegant?"

"Yeah, elegant or articulate or whatever as you and Blaine but, I'm sure about this. I want this." Kurt took a deep breath.

"Okay. Okay! Wow. Oh that's going to be insane Rachel and I planning weddings at the same time...that could be interesting." He turned and subtly pointed in the direction of Hiram and Leroy Berry, who were currently hanging on to every word of whatever tale Mercedes was telling. "Do they know yet? I know they'll be there that night."

"Not yet. Remember Christmas? They're even worse secret-keepers than Rachel. I'll tell them before but real close so hopefully she'll be a little surprised."

"Good thinking Finn," Kurt praised.

"Thanks man." Finn clapped him on the shoulder and began to turn when Kurt held him back.

"Actually Finn, I wanted to talk to you about something too." Finn halted and turned back to face his stepbrother.

"Not getting cold feet are you?" He teased.

"No!" Decried Kurt, "If anything I wish I had a time machine to fast forward to September of next year so Blaine and I didn't have to wait so long," he hesitated. "What I wanted to talk to you about is: will you be my best man?" Finn looked taken aback.

"For the wedding?" He blurted out.

"Yes, for the wedding." Finn's face broke out into a grin, then a frown.

"I thought for sure you'd ask Rachel, or Mercedes, or Gil to be your best...um, person or something."

"I thought about it - and I certainly intend to have them as groomsmaids, but we're brothers - I want you to be my best man when I marry the love of my life. If you want to..."

"Yeah of course!" Exclaimed Finn, hugging Kurt and lifting him right off his feet.

"I see you asked him, hmm?" Blaine asked as he suddenly appeared at their side.

"Hell yeah he did!" answered Finn, looking delighted. "Who's your best man or bridegroom or whatever?"

"Kevin and Wes are sharing best-man duties. They're both my best friends: I've known Wes longer but he'll be in California most of the time anyway, so I decided to ask them both." Finn nodded. Blaine turned to Kurt. "Mercedes says she's ready to wail." Kurt's eyes lit up.

"Well let's not waste another minute - dance floor, darling?"

"Let's go." They lead the way, with the other guests in their wake, to the small dance floor that had been built in the center of the room. Mercedes' smile shined brightly as she took up the mic.

_I just want you close_  
><em>Where you can stay forever<em>  
><em>You can be sure<em>  
><em>That it will only get better<em>  
><em>You and me together<em>  
><em>Through the days and nights<em>  
><em>I don't worry 'cause<em>  
><em>Everything's going to be alright<em>  
><em>People keep talking they can say what they like<em>  
><em>But all i know is everything's going to be alright<em>  
><em>No one, no one, no one<em>  
><em>Can get in the way of what I'm feeling<em>  
><em>No one, no one, no one<em>  
><em>Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you<em>  
><em>Can get in the way of what I feel for you<em>  
><em>When the rain is pouring down<em>  
><em>And my heart is hurting<em>  
><em>You will always be around<em>  
><em>This I know for certain<em>  
><em>You and me together<em>  
><em>Through the days and nights<em>  
><em>I don't worry 'cause<em>  
><em>Everything's going to be alright<em>  
><em>People keep talking they can say what they like<em>  
><em>But all i know is everything's going to be alright<em>  
><em>I know some people search the world<em>  
><em>To find something like what we have<em>  
><em>I know people will try, try to divide, something so real<em>  
><em>So till the end of time I'm telling you there ain't no one<em>  
><em>No one, no one<em>  
><em>Can get in the way of what I'm feeling<em>  
><em>No one, no one, no one<em>  
><em>Can get in the way of what I feel for you<em>

Everyone apart from Finn's aunt and uncle and the Anderson's were on the dance floor by the time the song finished. Kurt never could fathom how Blaine could be so musical and his parents so...stiff.

"Let's break it down now ya'll," Mercedes called out of the microphone. Tina, Brittany and Quinn jumped on stage behind her while she adjusted the speakers and took the mic out of it's stand so she could move around and sing again.

_You give me fever _  
><em>Fever in the morning <em>  
><em>Fever when it's late at night <em>  
><em>You give me fever (fever)<em>  
><em>Fever when you kiss me <em>  
><em>Fever when you hold me tight <em>  
><em>You give me fever (fever)<em>  
><em>Fever in the evening <em>  
><em>Fever all through the night <em>  
><em>You give me fever, yeah (fever)<em>  
><em>Fever when you're with me <em>  
><em>Fever when you love<em>

Kurt and Blaine whipped each other around the dance floor as Mercedes belt out the song. Burt and Carole danced around like a couple adorable lunatics, and with their respective ladies busy Kevin, Jay and Detroit followed Mike's lead and danced by themselves - though none of the trio managed to master Mike's moves quite well.

_He's so sweet _  
><em>He's so good to me <em>  
><em>He's so intelligent <em>  
><em>He's so confident <em>  
><em>Never know how much I love you <em>  
><em>Never know how much I care <em>  
><em>When you put your arms around me <em>  
><em>I get a fever that's so hard to bear <em>  
><em>You give me fever (fever)<em>  
><em>When you kiss me and fever when you hold me tight (fever)<em>  
><em>You give me fever <em>  
><em>In the mornin and fever all through the night <em>  
><em>Fever until you sizzle <em>  
><em>What a lovely way to burn <em>  
><em>What a lovely way to burn <em>  
><em>What a lovely way to burn <em>  
><em>Fever <em>  
><em>Til ya sizzle <em>  
><em>What a lovely way to burn<em>

With the mood light, nearly everyone continued to dance and fool around for the next hour until Carole took up the mic and, after hushing Finn's chants of "Sing mom! Sing!" declared it was time for Kurt and Blaine to open their presents.

They got a lot of the items on their registry as well as a blue and red hand-crocheted blanket from Carole, something in a small black box that Kurt shut as soon as it opened - turning scarlet and refusing to show anyone, hissing "later" into Blaine's ear, from Puck and Lauren, and before long they came upon the last gift: a simple cream colored envelope. Blaine slid his pointer finger under the lip and slid it open. From the inside Blaine pulled out a peach and cream colored card with elegant calligraphy.

"Congratulations on your engagement," Blaine read aloud from the cards front cover. "Best wishes to the happy couple. Love from, Mom and Dad and Perla and Gerald," he finished awkwardly. The Anderson's apparently couldn't decide on how to sign the card. Gerald and Perla Anderson watched him and Kurt intently. Adhered to the left side of the card was a small white envelope. He detached it from the card and opened it.

"Woah," Kurt exhaled as he read over Blaine's shoulder. Inside the envelope were several pieces of paper detailing a honeymoon Gerald and Perla booked for the two of them - to, if the information was correct - anywhere of their choosing for 10 days. Kurt's eyes flitted from the envelope to Blaine's parents. "That's, very generous, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson." Gerald and Perla looked stiff and uncomfortable, but were smiling.

"It's the best we could do at the last minute," Perla blurted out.

"Thank you Mom, Dad - you didn't have to -" Blaine started.

"Yes, actually, we did." Interjected Gerald.

"It's great," added Burt gruffly. Blaine didn't seem to notice but Kurt turned and saw his dad looked a little put out. _What was up with that_?

Once all the presents were organized and put away the party continued - Thad, Blaine, Wes, Kurt and David all gathering on stage to sing an acapella version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow; Mike and Brittany tried to teach everyone Ke$ha's newest dance routine; and a variety of semi-embarrassing stories were shared among the crowd about moments in Kurt and Blaine's romance (a highly favored reminiscence being the failed attempt to "surprise" one another during Kurt's senior year of high school and Blaine's freshman year of college where Blaine ended up in Lima while Kurt ended up outside of Blaine's empty dorm room in New York). Gerald and Perla looked on in almost-concealed fascination. It was obvious they'd never experienced Blaine and Kurt among so many friends and so uncensored.

Eventually guests split off to mingle in small groups and Kurt plopped down next to his dad alone at the head table.

"Spill," he commanded.

"What?" Burt feigned.

"I know something is the matter," Kurt pressed. Burt frowned.

"No - it's, I'm happy for you - it isn't important."

"Dad," Kurt insisted. Burt scowled.

"You guys have been dating for how long? Over six years? And now they just decide they're going to be okay with it? Just show up with fancy presents and - "

"Dad!" Kurt admonished. "Do you want me to ask Blaine to return their present?" Burt looked astonished.

"Oh, no, Kurt that's not what I -" he drifted off, looking thoughtful.

"You'll always be my dad, dad," said Kurt kindly, wrapping his hand around his dads forearm. Burt smiled slightly. "You can't be replaced with a fancy trip. You know - you know - how grateful I - and Blaine too - how much we appreciate your support."

"I'm glad Blaine's parents are coming around," Burt said evening, "but I guess I'm still leery about them."

"As am I," Kurt confessed. "If they hurt him I just may need to stop by the shop to get the bumps and dents out from where I run them over with your SUV." Burt chuckled.

"You're your mothers child, Kurt - but you're also mine."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you, dad."

"I love you too kiddo." Kurt wrapped his arms around his fathers back and gave him a squeeze.

* * *

><p>They partied well into the evening - until Emma and Will's babysitter called asking where they were and the "adults" decided to call it a night. Wes, Thad, David, Angela and Hannah said goodnight as well as they're families lived relatively close to Dalton. All the remaining "kids" piled in remaining cars and somehow wound up in the parking lot of McKinley.<p>

"What're we doing here, Noah?" a giddy Kurt asked from his position in the back seat where Blaine had been tickling him relentlessly. Puck exchanged a look with Lauren and then the two turned to face them.

"We thought since we already went to Dalton we should have a little fun at our old stomping grounds too," he answered mischievously.

"You don't mean - " Began Blaine.

"We're breakin' in Prep School," interjected Lauren as she opened the passenger side door. Blaine was clearly flustered.

"But - don't they have like, an alarm system?"

"Public School is child's play," Lauren explained. "Puck and I have been breaking in to places for years. Oh calm down - we were on recon missions, mostly - or just needed a place to make out. Anyway, we'll be in in a jiffy no problems, I promise."

"Kurt?" Blaine asked, looking at his lover as they slowly got out of the car.

"Only live once babe," Kurt reasoned. Blaine grinned.

"Alright. Let's do it."

The group of 15 tiptoed their way to the entrance at the back of the school, following Lauren and Puck's instructions and running like fools when a car horn beeped loudly from the next street. With nothing more than one of the numerous pins securing her hair, Lauren popped the lock and Puck disabled the alarm within seconds. The were in.

Lauren pulled a tiny LED flashlight from her purse and led the way inside. They crept down the halls, silent except for Tina, Quinn and Finn's uncontrollable giggle fits. Kurt thought they were headed to the choir room but they stopped momentarily at a bank of lockers.

"What're you doing?" Brittany asked. "Puck we graduated, at least...I think we did. I remember something about square hats." Puck ignored her and spun the lock, which popped open easily. With a creak the locker's door opened revealing an impressive stash of booze.

"How did you get that in theree?" Jay asked, sounding impressed.

"My cousin's a senior here," Puck explained.

"I'm not sure about this..." Finn spoke to no one in particular.

"Calm down Lurch, we'll be fine," teased Lauren.

"Or, you can go wait in the car," offered Puck condescendingly. Finn's resolve seemed slightly strengthened and he grinned excitedly.

"Any more Nervous Neds?" Puck asked. Everyone shook their heads, rambunctiously grabbing the small bottles from the locker and hurrying after Puck and Lauren.

The choir room hadn't changed much over the years and the group piled into chairs and got to work opening and sharing shots. After a couple shots Blaine, Puck and Finn took up instruments and lead the group in a slightly slurred version of the Beastie Boys Fight for Your Right with the rest shrieking in peels of laughter as Puck attempted rapping. He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't as good as Artie - that was for sure.

Finn's phone rang a little after midnight with a call from Rachel who demanded to be put on speakerphone so she could say hello to everyone and wish Kurt and Blaine congratulations for their engagement. With Finn on the phone and the supply of alcohol diminishing the others divided into small groups, wandering off into corners of the room or spilling out into the hallway.

Kurt and Blaine separated from the crowd with little more than a wave to Mike, Brittany and Quinn and hurried off.

"Where are you taking me?" Blaine questioned breathlessly as Kurt pulled him along.

"Well, seeing as we found some...um, privacy at Dalton, I thought we could try it at McKinley as well!" Kurt explained with a laugh. Blaine's eyes widened comically. "Never doubt my brilliance," Kurt cautioned.

"I wouldn't dare," Blaine assured. "It's just, we already...you know, once?" Kurt stopped.

"Do you not want to?"

"No! No, no I want to," Blaine hurried to say, "We just haven't gotten to do that in a while. Plus, public sex twice in a day? That's unheard of."

"Well," purred Kurt, leaning in close to kiss Blaine's earlobe, "it is our special day." Blaine groaned and stared at Kurt with pleading eyes until Kurt took pity on him and hurried along. They turned down one hallway and then another. Kurt at least seemed to know where he was going. Soon enough he came to a halt in front of a swinging door and kissed Blaine on the cheek before stealing away inside. Before Blaine could join him he was back out again.

"Eureka!" He exclaimed with a laugh, holding a strip of condoms in his hand. "I'm so glad they started teaching sex ed again."

"Me too," seconded Blaine as Kurt took off again. He hurried after Kurt, wonder where he was planning to go. Locker Room? No the smell would put Kurt off. Teachers Lounge? Maybe. Classroom? Doubtful but maybe the French classroom? Hmm. They turned another corner and Blaine suddenly knew where they were. "Auditorium? Kurt." Kurt just laughed and tugged him inside.

"Care to join me backstage?" Kurt offered. Blaine nodded enthusiastically and the two tore across the expansive room and up the backstage steps. Behind the heavy curtain were various props from McKinley's past performances as well as a menagerie of musical equipment. Kurt found a slightly rickety looking couch and pulled Blaine down into it, kissing him deeply. Melting into the kiss, Blaine's hands reached up to cup Kurt's face, rubbing his thumb along Kurt's cheekbone.

"I love you," he whispered softly.

"I love you too. Today was...a blast. I love being with you so much Blaine - and I, I feel really lucky that I can share how much you mean to me with the whole world. In novels secret romances sound like they're sexy or fun, and maybe it would be for a little while, but I'd be devastated if I was so madly in love with you and couldn't tell anyone about it." Blaine's eyes bore into his own and his mouth opened slightly and closed twice as if we was about to say something, but changed his mind at the last minute. Finally,

"You are the most precious thing in my life. I'm so grateful we don't have to hide - god - if we did I think we'd get caught immediately - I can't help myself around you. Ever since we got together - being with you - it's the one thing I'm always sure about."

Not caring about their dress clothes this time Kurt wasted no time in undressing his lover. Soon they were both only clad in their underwear, limbs intertwined on the the unfortunately pea green couch. With urgency their underwear fell away as well. Blaine reached up to roll one of Kurt's nipples between his fingers while using his other hand to pump along Kurt's cock.  
>Kurt breath came in harried little gasps under Blaine's ministration's, eyes darkening with desire until he couldn't take it anymore. He eased Blaine off of him, kissed him fiercely and switched their positions.<p>

Blaine ended up underneath him, half way curled around the furniture's arm, sucking and nipping at his lower back and then dipping lower to kitten-lick down his crack, down down over his hole and making him gasp and grip the cushions for dear life, to the tender skin of his inner thighs and up again, sliding wet and hot against his opening, pushing his tongue in and working him open, Kurt held him still with a firm grip to his hips.

"Oh god, oh god, oh - fuck!" growled Blaine. He was so hard, so ready, so needy - but he knew why Kurt was spending an inordinately long time slip sliding his tongue inside him. Part of it was to drive him crazy (of which he was exceedingly successful) and also to make up for their limited supply of lube. "Please, please," he whined low in his throat. Kurt licked lavishly around his rim one more time before pulling back and rolling a condom onto his length.

The sensation of Kurt entering him, slowly sinking inside, filling him to completion - Blaine would never tire of it. Kurt knew how to completely unhinge him, the right swivel of his hips, the right pace to make him shake, just when to reach around and stroke his cock - lightly first with just his finger tips. A tease. Then harder, more insistent, more directive. Not that Blaine didn't know what to do as well. His hips thrust back and forward with their own flow, fucking himself on Kurt's cock, clenching around him for just long enough to bring him to the edge before letting off and allowing the cycle to renew.

They were being loud. Too loud. Sounds of their lovemaking carried easily in the huge room, even with the heavy curtain muffling the worst of it. Thankfully no one came around, though if anyone had the two were possibly too far gone to notice a disturbance short of outright screaming. Kurt sunk his short nails into the skin of Blaine's shoulders to steady him as their pace became erratic.

"Blaine, Blaine, oh, Blaine," he chanted, "so good - so fucking, good." Blaine pushed back suddenly, knocking Kurt backwards until his back met the soft cushions of the couch and he slid back down onto Kurt's cock, riding him fervently. Maybe he should have given him some warning, but Kurt didn't seem to mind as his hands found their way up Blaine's chest and held on for the ride. It took more exertion this way, for sure, but the pressure on his prostate was so delicious Blaine wouldn't mind the sore thighs tomorrow.

"Come on, Kurt," he growled. Kurt jerked forward once, twice, a third time and then came hard, the sensation pushing Blaine over the edge a few seconds later - streams of come shooting up his belly.

Kurt had only just slipped out of him when he couldn't hold himself up anymore and he collapsed on top of the other man with an "oomph."

"Sorry," he whispered sheepishly. Unfazed, Kurt just wrapped his arms around Blaine's chest and torso.

"I'll live," he quipped. "We're really, sweaty," Kurt observed nonchalantly. "Do you think the others will know?"

"I think they knew the moment we stepped out, but let them finish the last of Pucks supply and no one will mind. Looks like you, me and Kev are DD's tonight."

"I always forget he doesn't drink. Ugh, we can't even ride in the same car together? That sucks."

"Kurt," Blaine said teasingly, "I think we can handle one car ride apart - we did go weeks when you were in Europe." Kurt sighed grandly.

"I guess you're right. Normally I'd say the others should be responsible for being Designated Drivers for the happy couple - but seeing as we've been too busy having sex to get drunk..."

"Wonderful, fabulous, exhausting, sex," added Blaine with a yawn. Kurt tutted.

"Oh no, honeybee, no falling asleep. I'll make you teachers lounge sewer water coffee if need be, but no post-orgasm nap tonight."

"You're so mean." Blaine stuck his tongue out slightly. Kurt rolled his eyes and pressed his lips to Blaine's, pulling his tongue into his mouth and caressing it with his own.

"Yes, I'm positively dreadful I can tell from your demeanor," he joked. They laid together in comfortable silence for a few more minutes before reluctantly detaching from one another to pull on clothes and wander back to the others. Everyone clapped at their disheveled appearance upon reentering the choir room - everyone apart from Finn who covered his eyes and grumbled something about brotherly codes of discretion that Kurt promptly ignored.

The night waning the group laughed and talked for a little while longer, savoring the time together in a space that held so much meaning for all of them. Eventually, when yawns out numbered giggles they stumbled their way back to the cars - Kevin, Kurt and Blaine retrieving keys from various owners to ferry them all home.

"That was lovely, Noah, thank you," said Kurt fondly as he drove towards Lauren's parents house where Puck and Lauren were staying.

"Lovely? Dude that was fucking boss. Only the best for my boys," replied Puck happily, his voice only slightly slurred. Kurt chuckled and continued to drive on - feeling like the luckiest man alive - and in that moment, he was.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it! Reviews are endlessly flailed over - especially a the end of a 10 hour work day like I've been doing for the last 6 weeks. Songs in this chapter are <em>Hot<em> by Avril Lavigne, _Bubbly_ by Colbie Callait,** _**No**_** One by Alicia Keys and the Beyonce Knowles version of _Fever. _I'll put youtube links on my tumblr.**

**Again, thank you for reading and sticking around. It means, well, more than you know. 3**


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